Angkasa Raya: Landmark Tower Set to Hover Amidst Sky Gardens in Kuala Lumpur

Across from Kuala Lumpur's iconic Petronas Twin Towers will soon be a new landmark tower punctuated with floating sky gardens. Designed by <a href="http://www.buro-os.com/press-release-ole-scheeren-to-build-landmark-tower-in-kuala-lumpur/" target="_blank">Ole Scheeren</a>, who partnered with Rem Koolhaas to design the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_Central_Television_Headquarters" target="_blank">CCTV building</a> in Beijing, Angkasa Raya is composed of three distinct slab volumes floating above two multi-level zones of gardens. The mixed-use towers will provide space for offices, a luxury hotel, and high-end residences. Lush vegetation will cascade over the sides of the sky gardens and natural ventilation, daylighting, rainwater harvesting and a number of other sustainable strategies will help reduce the impact of the 64-story tower.

Comprised of two slab like blocks set upon a lush plinth at the base and third slab mounted on top of the sky gardens, the tower was designed to compliment but not mirror the iconic twin towers next door.

Offices will occupy the bottom slab with the hotel situated alongside it.

The luxury residences will take the top position and offer 280 units of studios, one to three bedroom apartments, as well as penthouses on the top floors to take in the commanding views.

A naturally ventilated atrium within the Residences Tower will eliminate the need for air conditioning and recirculation.

The 268 meters tower is clad with modular aluminum sun-shading that is geometrically optimized and carefully oriented to reduce solar heat gain under the intense tropical sun.

The horizontal slabs of the gardens also provide shading for the levels below to further reduce energy use and passively cool the space.

A series of large scale voids connect to the building envelope to help natural daylight infiltrate into the interior spaces. These atriums also hold communal seating areas and tropical lounges to serve as sky gardens.

Insulated green roofs on top of the towers work in conjunction with rainwater harvesting and landscape irrigation to minimize potable water use.