Trident International Holdings, a Dubai-based developer, will be restarting work on 516-meter The Pentominium, billed as the world's tallest residential tower, by third quarter. In conjunction with the Dubai Land Department, Trident is actively working on several advanced options towards restarting the construction of this project. The tower, located in Dubai Marina, was scheduled for completion in 2013, but work was suspended in August 2011 following the global financial crisis and customer default. When completed, the residential tower will have 122 floors above ground and house 172 luxury penthouses designed by Italian fashion designer Salvatore Ferragamo. In 2009, Arabian Construction Company was awarded a US$ 400 million contract for construction of the tower. Construction commenced on July 26, 2009, and, before construction stopped, at least 30 floors had been completed. When completed, Pentominium will become the second tallest building in Dubai after 828-metre Burj Khalifa, the tallest tower in the world. Dubai already is home to four of the tallest residential towers with the 414-metre Princess Tower in Dubai Marina holding the world record according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.. The 395-meter 23 Marina is in second place, followed by 381-meter Elite Residence and 337-meter The Torch, Council data reveals. Emporis' latest data shows Dubai has 1,882 tall buildings of which 869 exist, 625 are planned, 341 under construction, 46 un-built and one demolished.

The city of Vancouver just approved a unique new tower that promises to be one of the greenest skyscrapers in all of Canada. The Exchange is a 31-story tower that will be built directly on top of the existing 11-story Old Stock Exchange building, which was built in 1929. The new building was designed by architect Harry Gugger, who previously worked for Herzog & de Meuron and is credited with designing the Bird's Nest Stadium in Beijing and the Tate Modern in London. The entire project is seeking LEED Platinum certification. The new 31-story tower will rest partially on top of and it will stand partially alongside the existing Old Stock Exchange Building. The Stock Exchange building will be completely renovated and incorporated into the new development, and it will become Canada's first LEED Platinum heritage conversion. The project, which is already being described as Canada's largest green office building, will feature a variety of energy-saving technologies. Shading louvers will be incorporated into the facade, preventing direct sunlight from hitting the building's windows, and reducing the need for air conditioning. The building will also feature a high-efficiency hydronic heating and cooling system. Solar thermal panels will provide hot water, and the building will feature storm water retention and reuse system. Inside, the building will feature lush landscaped sky gardens for workers to enjoy. Overall, the building's green features are expected to result in 50 percent less energy use, which will translate to a 35 percent reduction in energy costs. Construction on the US$ 200 million building is scheduled to begin in October, and the project is expected to be completed in 2017.

The 200 meter high "InTempo" towers in Benidorm were built as 'a vision of the future' and a symbol of Spain's reemergence from a crippling financial crisis. With 47 floors of living space it was intended to be the tallest residential building in Europe. But with only months until it is due for completion, contractors have hit upon a slight problem. They forgot to build a lift. The towers were originally designed to be only 20 floors high, but ambitious developers decided to double the scale of the project midway through. A lift exists for the first 20 floors, but beyond that there is only the stairs. And reports seen by Spain's El Pais newspaper suggest there is no more space for another lift or motor equipment. It is only the latest in a series of setbacks which have beset the project. It was due to open in 2009, but now joins a series of white elephants that have been caused by the country's deep recession. Furore over the Benidorm towers has grown in recent weeks, after the team of architects left. El Pais was given access to documents which revealed the extent of the catastrophes that have beset the tourist town's biggest project. The newspaper reports that not only did construction workers go for four months without pay in 2010, but they were also forced to walk up and down the half-constructed towers for months as a service lift was not built until the first 23 stories had been completed. The lift that was eventually installed collapsed in July 2011, injuring 13 workers. Ambulances reportedly struggled to reach them, because the area surrounding the construction site had not been cleared for vehicle access in an alleged bid to save money. The architects have resigned, despite the last eight floors - which will unite the two neighboring towers with communal gardens and pools - remaining incomplete. And amid further financial problems, the building has now been taken over by Spain's so-called 'bad bank', which was set up to consolidate the country's most toxic assets. In what has come to symbolize the madness of Spanish boom-time investment, the original bank investor Caixa Galicia asked the developer to raise just 3000 euro in capital in return for it offering 93 million euro towards to the project. Despite plans to open the twin towers to great fanfare in 2009, the block remains only 94 per cent complete. Only 35 per cent of the 269 units have been sold. It is now expected to be finished in December of this year, and the remaining flats will go on sale at a lower price.

Dubai could soon be home to a tower which rotates 360 degrees every 90 minutes, if stalled plans for the project are finally given the green light. David Fisher, the founder and chairman of Dynamic Architecture Group, first proposed the idea in 2008 but the global financial crisis and the downturn in the Dubai property market led to the ambitious plans being put on hold. The new plans for the rotating tower, to be named the Dynamic Tower, will be 80 stories high and will make a complete 360 degree rotation every 90 minutes. The Dubai tower is expected to cost in the region US$ 541 million. The company is also hoping to build versions in Moscow, Paris, London, Milan, Rome, New York and Miami. The design includes nearly 79 giant wind turbines that will generate electricity to power the rotation of the floors. Full details of the tower's location, financing and construction timeframe have not been disclosed as Fisher said he wanted to keep secret so they would be a "surprise". Another obstacle may be the fact Fisher admits he has never designed a skyscraper before, let alone one as ambitious and complex as a rotating one. "I did not design skyscrapers, but I feel ready to do so," he said in an interview with the Associated Press news agency. "You can build anything."

The topping-out ceremony for the Gensler-designed Shanghai Tower, the world's second-tallest building, took place in Shanghai on August 3. The 632 meter-high tower has now reached its full height and is second only to the Burj Khalifa tower in Dubai, which measures 828 meters. The tower’s cleverly designed facade reduces wind load by 24 percent during typhoons, and sky gardens at the apex mimic traditional open courtyards. Gensler's local engineering and design team had to devise several unique components to accommodate the 121 story tower located in an emerging financial district in Pudong. The clay soil would have been insufficient to carry the tower's heavy load, so a system of 831 reinforced concrete bore piles had to be poured in 60 straight hours as a solid foundation. Also, China is subject to powerful typhoons that can destabilize a tower of such heights, so it was important to reduce the project's wind load. The twisting form reduces the load by 24 percent during typhoons, and also slashed construction costs by a whopping US$ 58 million. The building is organized in nine vertical zones that distribute heating, cooling and water more efficiently than a standard tower, thereby reducing these loads, as well as the costs of maintaining interior comfort. Sky gardens crown the mammoth building alongside observation decks and cultural facilities, while retail facilities are located at the base. Offices are spread out between. The tower will open in 2014.