Many would agree that this is a bloomin’ good design for a skyscraper.
Recently released pictures show plans for a new 521ft- (158m) high ‘flower-clad’ tower that’s coated in a layer of Asiatic lilies, blossoming in punchy shades of orange, red, and yellow.
It’s proposed that the 41-storey building – which would cost an estimated $350million (£266million) to construct – will be built on a site by Bryant Park in Manhattan’s Midtown area, transforming the iconic New York skyline.
Recently released renderings show plans for a new 521ft- (158m) high ‘flower-clad’ tower in New York
It’s proposed that the building, known as ‘Lilly, will be built on a site by Bryant Park in Manhattan’s Midtown area. It would be partially coated in a layer of Asiatic lilies, blossoming in punchy shades of orange, red, and yellow
The building, known as ‘Lilly’, was designed by the Brooklyn architecture firm Studio Vural to ‘push the limits’ of sustainable construction.
Flower bulbs would be planted in a sustainable concrete planting assembly and hung on a steel frame.
How will landscapers keep the exterior looking as fresh as a daisy? There is a doorway every 10 floors through which ‘vertigo-free landscapers’ can tend to the garden using ladders and safety belts.
Not only that, but the architecture firm says it is also developing a sliding scaffolding system to help maintain the flowers, which it describes as a ‘window cleaner’s platform meets a roller coaster’.
Collected rainwater, filtered greywater (water that has already been used for domestic or industrial purposes) and city water, meanwhile, would be used to irrigate the flower beds.
The ‘Lilly’ was designed by Brooklyn architecture firm Studio Vural to ‘push the limits’ of sustainable construction. The Asiatic lilies would bloom every spring before returning to a shade of green for the other seasons of the year, a statement reveals
Inside the floral tower, there would be 18 residential floors and 23 commercial floors
The building sets out to cater to the ‘pandemic-generated remote workforce’ with co-working spaces and conference rooms
The Asiatic lilies would bloom every spring, before reverting to a shade of green for the other seasons of the year, a statement reveals.
Describing the characteristics of the vibrant flowers, British gardening expert Monty Don previously told the Daily Mail: ‘Asiatic lilies come in a wider range of brilliant colours and are very hardy and tolerant of most soils. But the trade-off is that they have no scent.
‘They make good and dramatic border plants, and some will grow very tall indeed.’
Inside the floral tower, there would be 18 residential floors and 23 commercial floors.
The building sets out to cater to the ‘pandemic-generated remote workforce’ with residences that are integrated with co-working spaces, large conference rooms, and recreational amenities.
The entire building would be heated and cooled by a geothermal system – supported by insulation from the green roof and triple-insulated glazing.
According to the architects, the ‘Lilly’ building shows that sustainable architecture can help to ‘pave the way to a clean future’.
Architect Selim Vural, who owns Studio Vural, tells MailOnline Travel: ‘With buildings like Lilly, the barrier between architecture and nature is finally caving in, architecture is a living plant now. It is one with nature through green roofs, fertile soil, sustainable materials, clean energy, and construction techniques.’
The ‘Lilly’ wouldn’t be New York’s only green building – the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, pictured above, is topped with a 135,000-square-foot green roof
This wouldn’t be the city’s only green building – the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, the home of the Brooklyn Nets basketball team, is topped with a 135,000-square-foot (12,541-square-metre) roof that’s made up of sedum, a group of flowering plants that can withstand drought.
The ‘Lilly’ building is currently a concept. However, Studio Vural is in talks regarding the tower’s construction – the firm says that there’s ‘a lot of interest but no commitment as of yet’.
Studio Vural has worked on a number of projects in New York, from designing the VIP lounge for Turkish Airlines at JFK Airport to the construction of a luxury condo in Park Slope.
For more information visit www.studiovural.com.
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Read more at DailyMail.co.uk