Many will agree that this is a great project for a skyscraper.
Newly released photographs show plans for the new 521-foot-tall (158 m) “flower-clad” tower, which is covered in a layer of Asiatic lilies blooming in vibrant hues of orange, red and yellow.
The 41-story building, which will cost approximately $350 million (£266 million) to build, is expected to be built on a site near Bryant Park in Midtown Manhattan, transforming New York’s iconic skyline.
Newly released renderings show plans for a new 521-foot (158 m) “flower-clad” tower in New York City.
The building, known as “Lilly”, is expected to be built on the grounds of Bryant Park in Manhattan’s Midtown neighborhood. It will be partially covered with a layer of Asiatic lilies blooming in vibrant shades of orange, red and yellow.
The building, known as “The Lilly”, was designed by Brooklyn-based architecture firm Studio Vural to “push the boundaries” of sustainable building.
The flower bulbs will be planted in stable concrete plantations and hung on a steel frame.
How will landscape designers keep the look as fresh as a daisy? Every 10 floors, there is a doorway through which “vertigo-free landscapers” can tend the garden using ladders and harnesses.
Not only that, the architecture firm says it’s also developing a sliding scaffolding system to help support the flowers, which it describes as a “window washing platform and roller coaster.”
Collected rainwater, filtered gray water (water that has already been used for domestic or industrial purposes) and city water, meanwhile, will be used to irrigate the flower beds.
“Lilly” was designed by Brooklyn-based architecture firm Studio Vural to “push the boundaries” of sustainable building. Asiatic lilies will bloom each spring before returning to a shade of green at other times of the year, the statement said.
Inside the flower tower will be 18 residential and 23 commercial floors.
The building is designed to serve a “pandemic-driven remote workforce” with collaborative space and conference rooms.
Asiatic lilies will bloom every spring before returning to a shade of green at other times of the year, according to the statement.
Describing the characteristics of the vibrant flowers, British horticultural expert Monty Don previously told the Daily Mail: “Asian lilies have a wider range of vibrant colors and are very hardy and tolerant of most soils. But the problem is that they don’t smell.
“They make good and showy border plants, and some do grow really tall.”
Inside the flower tower will be 18 residential and 23 commercial floors.
The building is designed to serve a “pandemic-driven remote workforce,” with living spaces that are integrated with collaboration spaces, large conference rooms, and leisure facilities.
The entire building will be heated and cooled by a geothermal system supported by green roof insulation and triple-insulated glazing.
According to the architects, the Lilly building shows that sustainable architecture can help “lead the way to a cleaner future.”
Architect Selim Vural, who owns Studio Vural, tells MailOnline Travel: “With buildings like Lilly, the barrier between architecture and nature is finally disappearing, architecture is now a living plant. It is oneness with nature through green roofs, fertile soil, sustainable materials, clean energy and building technology.”
The Lilly won’t be the only green building in New York – Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, pictured above, is topped with a 135,000-square-foot green roof.
It won’t be the only green building in the city – Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, home of the Brooklyn Nets basketball team, is topped with a 12,541 sq. A group of flowering plants resistant to drought.
The Lilly building is currently under development. However, Studio Vural is in talks to build the tower – the firm says there is “strong interest but no commitment yet.”
Studio Vural has worked on a range of projects in New York City, from designing a VIP lounge for Turkish Airlines at JFK Airport to building a luxury condominium in Park Slope.
For more information visit www.studiovural.com.