NEW SKYSCRAPER TO GATHER ENERGY FROM THE WIND AND THE SUN

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP have won an international competition for construction of one of the world's most sustainable skyscrapers in China. SOM in collaboration with Guangzhou Pearl River Engineering Construction Supervision Corp. and with the support of Guangzhou Design Institute, are to design the Pearl River Tower, headquarters of the CNTC Guangdong Company. The 69 storey building will be built in Guangzhou, a city of more than 6 million people 182 kilometres from Hong Kong. "This project represents our commitment to sustainable design,' says Thomas Kerwin of SOM. 'It also represents our commitment and spirit of mutual collaboration with China's design professionals, government and industry in pushing sustainable design best-practices."

The "skyscraper for a new age", as it has been called, is designed to produce more energy than it consumes. The Pearl River Tower gathers energy from the wind and the sun: it uses wind power for ventilation and air conditioning, solar power for heating and electricity. (www.som.com/)