At approximately 443-feet-tall, Top Tower would become the tallest building in Prague. And while, especially in today’s world of Supertalls closing in on 2,000 feet, the height may not seem too impressive, another element of the proposed building would serve to make it one of the most unique buildings in the world: a giant sculpture of a shipwreck that rises the length of the building (and beyond).
Designed by sculptor David Černý and architect Tomáš Císař from the studio Black n´ Arch for developer Trigema, Top Tower looks like it would be more at home in the world of Mad Max than Prague’s new pedestrian zone. The LEED Gold targeted building will feature rental housing with offices on the lower floors. Retail shops will be located on the first and second floors with public parking underground. A multifunctional cultural center connects to a publicly accessible roof garden.
The shipwreck sculpture is meant as a warning to unchecked climate change, evoking a vision of a post-apocalyptic future. The bright red sculpture rises vertically with the building, culminating just above the roof garden. Here, accessible by ski lift, the sculpture becomes the tallest viewing deck in Prague, providing views of nearly the entire perimeter of the City.
See Also: KPF-designed CITIC tower is Beijing’s tallest
Top Tower also includes the revitalization of the public pedestrian zone between the entrances and exits of the Nové Butovice metro station. Trigema is hoping to begin construction on the tower in 2021 and expects construction to take fewer than three years.
Related Stories
| Oct 13, 2010
Modern office design accentuates skyline views
Intercontinental|Exchange, a Chicago-based financial firm, hired design/engineering firm Epstein to create a modern, new 31st-floor headquarters.
| Oct 13, 2010
HQ renovations aim for modern look
Gerner Kronick + Valcarcel Architects’ renovations to the Commonwealth Bank of Australia’s New York City headquarters will feature a reworked reception lobby with back-painted glass, silk-screened logos, and a video wall.
| Oct 12, 2010
Guardian Building, Detroit, Mich.
27th Annual Reconstruction Awards—Special Recognition. The relocation and consolidation of hundreds of employees from seven departments of Wayne County, Mich., into the historic Guardian Building in downtown Detroit is a refreshing tale of smart government planning and clever financial management that will benefit taxpayers in the economically distressed region for years to come.
| Oct 8, 2010
Union Bank’S San Diego HQ awarded LEED Gold
Union Bank’s San Diego headquarters building located at 530 B Street has been awarded LEED Gold certification from the Green Building Certification Institute under the standards established by the U.S. Green Building Council. Gold status was awarded to six buildings across the United States in the most recent certification and Union Bank’s San Diego headquarters building is one of only two in California.
| Sep 21, 2010
New BOMA-Kingsley Report Shows Compression in Utilities and Total Operating Expenses
A new report from the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International and Kingsley Associates shows that property professionals are trimming building operating expenses to stay competitive in today’s challenging marketplace. The report, which analyzes data from BOMA International’s 2010 Experience Exchange Report® (EER), revealed a $0.09 (1.1 percent) decrease in total operating expenses for U.S. private-sector buildings during 2009.
| Aug 11, 2010
New data shows low construction prices may soon be coming to an end
New federal data released recently shows sharp increases in the prices of key construction materials like diesel, copper and brass mill shapes likely foreshadow future increases in construction costs, the Associated General Contractors of America said. The new November producer price index (PPI) report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics provide the strongest indication yet that construction prices are heading up, the association noted.
