Proposed Skyscrapers Push The Envelope Of Design

A cigarette-pack-shaped tower that will "breathe in air" to power the building? A Louisville skyscraper whose beauty is compared to the "gap between Lauren Hutton's teeth?" Proposed new towers are pushing the limits of height and good taste.

1 minute read

April 19, 2006, 9:00 AM PDT

By Alex Pearlstein


A surging global real estate market has emboldened often risk-averse contractors to propose increasingly ambitious and outlandish skyscraper designs. Technological advancements in design tools, construction techniques, and material fabrication are also freeing up investment dollars to reach further for the stars in tower height and design.

Among the most atypical skyscraper projects recently proposed include a tower for a Chinese tobacco company shaped like a cigarette pack that will "breathe" in air to generate power for the building. In Moscow, a planned $1.5 billion "vertical city for 25,000 people" hopes to be not only Europe's tallest skyscraper, but also the only modern building with a natural ventilation system.

In perhaps the wackiest design, a tower proposed for Louisville, Kentucky, looks like "a three-legged chair with a 22-story diagonal elevator that accesses a 'floating island in the sky' art museum."

[Editor's note: This story will be available online for seven days after publication.]

Wednesday, April 19, 2006 in The Wall Street Journal

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1, 2025 - KQED

Blue and silver Amtrak train at small station.

Amtrak Rolls Out New Orleans to Alabama “Mardi Gras” Train

The new service will operate morning and evening departures between Mobile and New Orleans.

July 3 - New Orleans City Business

Large spinning swing ride at Chicago's Navy Pier.

The Subversive Car-Free Guide to Trump's Great American Road Trip

Car-free ways to access Chicagoland’s best tourist attractions.

July 3 - Streetsblog Chicago

Aerial view of downtown San Antonio, Texas at night with rotating Tower of the Americas in foreground.

San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion

The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.

July 3 - Governing