skyscraper
Apr 02, 2025
During Milan Design Week 2025, the GROHE Aqua Gallery at the historic Garden Senato celebrates the beauty of the Pure Joy of Water. Visitors can look forward to an immersive display of precision-crafted artifacts that deliver water, and seamlessly blend form and function. The installation showcases the beauty, creativity and humanity of the brand, and the poetic contrast with its more rational and technological side.
GROHE showcases Purefoam shower system at Milan Design Week 2025 | all images courtesy of GROHE
The tranquil setting of the Garden Senato transforms the GROHE Aqua Gallery into more than just an exhibition – it becomes a place for reflection, discussion, and relaxation. One of the most striking elements of the space is the GROHE Aqua Bar, constructed entirely from recycled plastic bottles to emphasize the brand’s stance against single-use plastics and promoting responsible water consumption. Powered by the GROHE Blue water system, it displays GROHE’s solution to enjoy filtered, chilled and carbonated water directly from the kitchen tap, reducing the need of using plastic bottles
the serene garden invites moments of reflection and pause
the GROHE Aqua Bar, constructed entirely from recycled plastic bottles, emphasizes the brand’s stance against single-use plastics
The GROHE Purefoam system transforms specially crafted Kinuami soap into a warm, weightless foam cloud that envelops the body in a cocooning, skin-nourishing embrace. While the GROHE Aqua Gallery offers a first look at this sensory technology, its full functionality can be experienced at the GROHE Milan showroom, located at Via Crocefisso 19.
To personalize each moment, GROHE offers five exclusive Kinuami soap fragrances—from the energizing Citrus Awakening to the soothing Waterlily Bliss. Purefoam is designed for intuitive use and integrates into shower environments equipped with a thermostat, requiring no major structural changes. Its user-friendly interface features a rechargeable battery, a self-cleaning mode, and auto-stop foam durations ranging from 4 to 15 seconds. Available in black or white, the system can be used as a stand-alone solution or bundled with GROHE’s exposed or concealed shower systems. Each configuration includes tailored spray settings and ShockProof technology, combining comfort, performance, and durability in one refined solution.
Alongside Purefoam, GROHE showcases the Essence Crafted Lever, a refined evolution of the brand’s most specified faucet collection in the affordable luxury segment for projects across Europe. Featuring minimalist design, precise craftsmanship, and new customization options, it expands the possibilities for tailored interiors.
GROHE Purefoam transforms soap into a warm, weightless foam cloud
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Building Design
Pilbrow & Partners Replaces Allies & Morrison On Stalled Vauxhall Towers Scheme In 70-Storey RedesignExisting Subscriber? LOGIN
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17 April 2025
Building Design
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16 April 2025
Building Design
Building Safety Minister To Address Building The Future ConferenceThe Minister for Building Safety, Fire and Local Growth will address Housing Today’s Building the Future Conference as a keynote speaker.
Source: Flickr
Alex Norris has been MP for Nottingham North and Kimberley since June 2017 and was appointed to the role last year, after a shift of responsibilities within the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government.
The minister’s role includes building safety, regulations, the Grenfell Inquiry response, local and regional growth, investment zones.
His keynote speech will be part of the conference’s deidcated building safety stream. The conference will also involve dedicated specification, sustainability and skills sessions.
This year’s Building the Future Conference, which Building Design is co-hosting with sister titles Building and Housing Today, will take place on 2 October at a new venue, 155 Bishopsgate in the City of London.
On top of bringing together the Building, Building Design and Housing Today audiences under one roof, there will also be exclusive content from industry partners such as Build UK, The Housing Forum, The G15, and UKGBC.
>> Building the Future Conference: Buy your ticket today
The day-long conference will be followed by a shortlisting party for the 2025 Building Awards and Architect of the Year Awards.skyscraper
16 April 2025
RLI
Fio Purchases Prague BuildingFio Investment Company has announced the purchase of another property to its Fio real estate fund portfolio.
The fund has acquired the Stará Celnice office and retail building in the centre of Prague from German pension fund BVK Europa-Immobilien-Spezialfonds, represented in the transaction by Invesco Real Estate.
Stará Celnice is in a central location in Prague, right next to Republic Square, making it accessible to all of its current long-term tenants, ensuring its actual full occupancy. It offers over 11,500sq m of office and retail space.
“For the continued expansion of our real estate fund, we could not have asked for a better investment opportunity than to acquire the Stará Celnice building. By securing this building, we are one step closer to our goal of building a sector-appropriately mixed portfolio of prime commercial properties,” said Václav Kubáček, Investment Director at Fio real estate fund.
Fio real estate fund was launched in December 2021 as the third fund of Fio Investment Company, alongside Fio global equity fund and Fio domestic market fund. In May 2023, it announced its first acquisition of the Rohan Business Centre office building in Prague’s Karlín district. This was followed in August 2024 by the acquisition of the GARBE Park Chomutov manufacturing and warehouse complex.skyscraper
15 April 2025
Building Design
Birmingham Defers Decision On Simpson Haugh’S Five-Tower Scheme Amid Tall Building FearsExisting Subscriber? LOGIN
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14 April 2025
RLI
Range Developments Unveils Island HeightsRange Developments, award-winning luxury property developer, announces its fifth project, Island Heights, a collection of premium residential apartments in the heart Al Marjan Island, Ras Al Khaimah.
Located just 90 yards from the shoreline and four minutes from the future icon that is Wynn Al Marjan Island, Island Heights isn’t merely about high-end living – it’s a front-row seat to one of the region’s most transformative tourism plays.
“Our launch of Island Heights is a natural progression of our vision,” says Mohammed Asaria, Managing Director and Board Member of Range Developments. “This isn’t just a residence. It’s a curated lifestyle for those who seek more than just an address – they seek an experience.”
The development features 165 meticulously designed units – 78 studio apartments and 87 one-bedroom suites – all engineered for panoramic views of Al Marjan Island. The architecture leans into a minimalist-meets-opulence aesthetic: geometric form meets soft, ambient luxury. Think travertine textures, muted colour palettes and an emphasis on clean, smooth lines.
Amenities include a state-of-the-art gym, co-working lounge, yoga spaces, an outdoor play area for children and a mezzanine-level infinity pool. As well as all this there is also its ace in the pack, its proximity to the entertainment destination that Wynn is soon to launch.
“Ras Al Khaimah’s well-diversified economy and robust business environment generates significant investment opportunities, all elevating the region’s tourism,” added Riaz Shariff, Managing Director and Board Member of Range Developments. “Benefitting from the significant projected impact of Wynn Al Marjan Island, Island Heights is set to become both a beneficiary and a further catalyst to this growth, promising decadent living coupled with strategic investment potential.”skyscraper
14 April 2025
Building Design
Manchester Approves Four Towers Including Uk’S Tallest Outside LondonExisting Subscriber? LOGIN
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11 April 2025
Building Design
Woods Bagot Submits Plans For City Tower That Was Cut Down After Roman Ruins DiscoveryExisting Subscriber? LOGIN
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09 April 2025
Building Design
Patel Taylor Working Up Plans For 220M Canary Wharf TowerExisting Subscriber? LOGIN
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09 April 2025
Building Design
Green Light For Stanton Williams’S Plans To Extend Seifert Tower In KnightbridgeExisting Subscriber? LOGIN
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08 April 2025Building Design
Building Safety Regulator Losing Half Its Time Setting Up Inter-Organisation Groups, Says MinisterExisting Subscriber? LOGIN
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07 April 2025Building Design
Scott Brownrigg Tech Building Approved For Oxfordshire CampusExisting Subscriber? LOGIN
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02 April 2025Design Boom
Unstudio'S Wasl Tower In Dubai Draws From Classical Art With Sinuous Contrapposto PoseSet to become one of Dubai’s most impressive new landmarks, UNStudio‘s Wasl Tower is nearing completion and continues to transform the city’s skyline with its sinuous form and advanced facade of ceramic fins. With structural design by Werner Sobek, the supertall tower rises 302 meters and draws on classical art’s ‘contrapposto’ stance — its twisted form suggesting a figure mid-stride. Currently in the final stages of construction, the project has been photographed by Nils Koenning, offering a unique glimpse into the next generation of mixed-use skyscrapers in the UAE.
Located on Sheikh Zayed Road, the project sits at a critical urban intersection in Dubai, linking the world-famous Burj Khalifa with the newer City Walk development. Its prominent placement along Sheikh Zayed Road ensures high visibility, especially as it stands opposite the Burj Khalifa without any other tall structures to compete with. A new pedestrian bridge connects the building to the Burj Khalifa metro station, extending accessibility while reinforcing its role as a node within Dubai’s ever-evolving infrastructure network.
images © Nils Koenning
With one of the tallest ceramic facades in the world, the Wasl Tower in Dubai pushes the limits of facade design by blending tradition with performance. The architects at UNStudio and engineers at Werner Sobek cloak the tower in a lace-like grid of ceramic fins, crafted from low-tech glazed clay. This surface works to both reduce heat gain and enhance interior daylighting. Each fin is precisely angled at 12.8 degrees, a figure determined through parametric modeling to optimize shading and light diffusion. This outer skin is thus a passive cooling system which responds to the desert climate and offers a tactile visual identity that reads as both futuristic and traditional.
The Wasl Tower in Dubai introduces an unusual vertical seam that functions as a ‘vertical boulevard’ — a stacked procession of outdoor balconies and green terraces that run up the spine of the building. Crowned by a series of rooftop infinity pools, this seam brings a new level of permeability to high-rise living in a desert context. It also forms a crucial axis for public engagement, with programmatically rich zones that house dining, entertainment, and hospitality functions suspended far above the city.
Dubai’s Wasl Tower is a 302 meter skyscraper designed by UNStudio with structure by Werner Sobek
With its Wasl Tower in Dubai, UNStudio draws inspiration from classical sculpture, rotating along its vertical axis in a dynamic contrapposto pose. Its complex geometry is supported by three massive 300-meter shear walls, which are linked by four strategic outriggers. This structural system enables an open and adaptable floorplate, meeting the demands of its mixed-use program — including office spaces, apartments, and a hotel — while allowing the building to gracefully twist and face multiple directions.
The project becomes a living element within the nightscape through its responsive lighting system designed by Arup. Hidden behind the ceramic fins, the system pulses with light patterns that mimic the tempo of urban life. During the day, the same ceramic system moderates solar exposure. At night, the tower becomes a glowing presence powered in part by PV panels integrated into the adjacent car park structure. The lighting concept flows from exterior to interior, especially in the tower’s public areas and sky lobby.
the building’s sculptural form is based on contrapposto and rotates along its vertical axis
To navigate its complex, multi-functional interior, UNStudio and Werner Sobek employ a layered vertical transport strategy. A total of seventeen elevators — including five for services — support the distinct programs within the tower. Express lifts connect major hubs like the ground floor, spa, sky lobby, and rooftop, while separate lift groups serve office workers, hotel guests, and residents. While streamlining circulation, this system enhances user experience by lending direct, efficient access between public and private zones.
As the Wasl Tower nears its anticipated completion later this year, Dubai prepares to welcome a new icon which actively engages with its climate, culture, and infrastructure. With its ceramic cloak, kinetic silhouette, and environmentally responsive features, the tower signals a forward-thinking future for high-rise design in the desert metropolis.
it features one of the world’s tallest ceramic facades made from low-tech glazed clay
ceramic fins provide shading and reflect light deep into the buildingskyscraper
02 April 2025Building Design
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27 March 2025Building Design
Epr Completes Nine Elms Office BuildingExisting Subscriber? LOGIN
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26 March 2025Building Design
Broadway Malyan Redesigns Plans For Birmingham Tower Entirely Covered In Pv PanelsExisting Subscriber? LOGIN
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26 March 2025Building Design
Developer Eyeing 2027 Start For Fletcher Priest’S 46-Storey City TowerExisting Subscriber? LOGIN
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25 March 2025Building Design
Mps ‘Sceptical’ Government Can Deliver On Building Safety Remediation PromisesExisting Subscriber? LOGIN
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24 March 2025