4 architectural challenges

Jeddah, Monaco, Taipei, Beijing. A focus on four destinations where the future of urban development is taking shape through four architectural projects that are currently underway.

Out to sea, up into the air, greener than ever: the urban development of the future is already transforming our cities. In Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the relentlessly chased record for the world’s highest building is in the process of being toppled, as the Kingdom Tower, a monumental skyscraper rising to a height of more than a kilometre, takes the crown.

The environment is also a key challenge for urban development in the overpopulated city of Taipei and lies at the heart of the Agora Garden tower, which aims to help clean up pollution. The building is self-sufficient from an energy point of view and will absorb 130 tonnes of CO₂ per year.

In Beijing, the new airport, set to become the busiest in the world (72 million travellers a year), will help to reduce passenger transit times within the airport thanks to its star-shaped structure.