Earth’s population in 2022 hit the 8 billion mark. The UN expects 2/3 of the world to live in cities by 2050. Skyscrapers are no longer an architectural marvel. They are a bare necessity. Cities will continue to grow. And they will grow up. Every skyscraper will become a city within a city. Eco-friendly and sustainable. At least some recent research suggests it.

Here are a few examples to prove this opinion:

1. Shanghai Tower (Shanghai, China)

  • 200 wind turbines at the top generate 10 percent of its electricity
  • transparent inner and outer “skins” allow light into the building
  • collects rainwater
  • reuses wastewater
  • combines 40 energy-saving measures
  • cuts 34,000 metric tons from its annual carbon footprint
  • 1/3 is a green space, including 24 sky gardens.


2. Taipei 101 (Taipei, Taiwan)

  • 2,995 metric tons in reduced CO2 emissions per year
  • low-flow water fixtures to save about 7.4 million gallons of water per year
  • low- or no-mercury energy-efficient luminaires and lamps.
  • each floor has 2 sensors to monitor and control humidity levels


3. Bahrain World Trade Center (Manama, Bahrain)

  • up to 15 % of the office tower’s electricity is provided by wind power
  • buffer spaces were created between the external environment and air-conditioned spaces to reduce solar gain
  • high-quality solar glasses used with low-shading coefficient reduce the air temperature of the building
  • sloping balconies give adequate shading
  • deep gravel roofs provide kinetic insulation

4. Bank of America Tower (New York City, USA)

  • saves about 100 million gallons of water per year 
  • has waterless urinals and a rainwater collection facility on the roof that is used to cool the interior and flush toilets 
  • the roof also collects the fresh air that is used in the building 
  • highly efficient filters: the air leaves the building cleaner than it came in 
  • generation plant produces 4.6 megawatts of clean, sustainable, energy 
  • provides 70% of annual electrical power needs and produces all of the building’s hot water without outside energy 

5. China Resources Building (Hong Kong, China)

  • a perfect model of sustainable renovation
  • the façade was retrofitted with a glazing system that only allows 5 percent of solar energy to be transmitted indoors 
  • naturally reduces indoor temperature and the need for air conditioning
  • energy-efficient artificial lighting and air-handling units were also installed and upgraded 
  • a demand control ventilation (DCV) system 
  • controls the outside airflow rate based on the actual occupancy to save energy 
  • saved 10 percent of energy and reduced the building’s CO2 emissions by 1,370 tonnes 

6. Curzon Wharf (Birmingham, UK)

  • the world’s first net-zero skyscraper in 2029 
  • the building’s total amount of energy used in a year is roughly equal to the amount of renewable energy created on the site, or nearby 
  • super-insulated building fabric
  • renewable energy sources 
  • LED lighting and smart controls 
  • low-carbon construction material

7. Wasl Tower (Dubai, UAE)

  • the world’s tallest ceramic façade which helps regulate the internal temperature of the building as well as reduce the surrounding noise.
  • a series of vertical gardens designed by Amsterdam-based UNStudio help to reduce carbon dioxide levels in the building.