KOLKATA (Calcutta), India: Biswa Banga Shikhar (World Bengal Tower) -- 42 fl

[Jai]

Hi

Kolkata is slowly but surely undergoing urban transformation. For years stifling under democratically-elected communist government, now not even they can stave off the Indian urban development phenomenon. Malls, multiplexes, townships, highrises and commerical towers are starting to sprout up in the city, slowly but surely getting a little bit taller with each project. It's where Mumbai was 8 years ago.

Now, while the change isn't as visibly dynamic as in other cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad or Bangalore, it's certainly there, and, owing to its large population size and economic inertia, Kolkata has the potential to become a a true skyscraper city.

While a supertall hotel proposal has been floated about, the Biswa Banga Shikhar, or "World Bengal Tower" in the Bengali language, is Kolkata's tallest officially proposed skyscraper.



To be developed by Unitech Group, one of India's largest property developers, the Biswa Banga Shikhar with rise up to 42 stories in height.
It will be one of the centerpiece towers of a massive residential-commercial township developed by Unitech.

Designed by RMJM Architects, the mixed use development accommodates a 5 star hotel, executive club, serviced apartment, retail, residential, and office accommodation.



The tower itself is formed from 2 glass shards that rise from a massive reflection water pool at its base. The top of one of these shards is crowned by a 3 storey high atrium that acts as both a viewing tower and a beacon within the surrounding night sky.



The tower is separated from its auxiliary support accommodation which is contained within the sculptural podium building and rise from the landscape as a series of layered contours.




The township and tower is still in the proposal phase, and apart from cryptic statements made in the press of "big plans" underway, not a whole lot has been made public yet about this project.


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It's worth mentioning a similar sort of skyscraper project in Kolkata, Shristi Infrastructure/InterContinental Hotels's Vedic Hotels, which has already been approved. The Vedic Hotels would be approximately the same height as Biswa Banga Shikhar. For more information on that project, please visit its thread:

KOLKATA | Vedic Hotels | 150m | App



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With massive heritage restoration as well as skyscraper projects, Kolkata is certainly coming around!

Cheers,
Jai

[mcfinley]

On topic: This project looks like it has some potential, but I would like to see some better renderings of how the facade is going to look. The overlapping tile effect of the windows could turn out really well or really, really poorly. I'm kind of curious why they did this.


Off topic: I really hope the entrance bridges draw up and they put some angry sea bass with some frick'n lasers in the moat.

[Lecom]

Great, crisp design.

[Jai]

How about an update?

Firstly Here are some renderings of the Biswa Banga Shikhar's interior:







The Biswa Banga Shikhar is going to be part of Unitech's bigger Kolkata International Economic Zone, Kolkata's new high-tech and industrial district.

[The Kolkata International Economic Zone] is a state-of-the-art mega infrasturcutre development in Kolkata, India consisting of a 2,600 acre integrated industrial township and a 2,500 acre ancillary township with research, medical, education, cultural and sports elements. These two parcels of land will together be the future economic and development driver for the city and the state of West Bengal. The two designs themselves are derived from recognizable symbols of the Bengali culture.

The landscape becomes the biggest piece of landart reflecting the rich cultural heritage of Kolkata. similar to the scale of crop art, the landart provides the developments with unique identity. Inspired by Kollkata's literary heritage, the landart becomes the canvas for one of the most famous from 'Gitanjali' by Rabindranath Tagore.

^ Asia's First Nobel laureate, Bengali Poet Rabindranath Tagore, here with Albert Einstein. You can read more about the Gitanjali Poems here.

An overview of the project. The World Bengal Tower and associated buildings are located in just one of the sections of the project:



Detail of the landscaping inspired by the Gitanjali collection. The lakes and trees make up verses of the poem in a stylized Bengali Script (বাংলা লিপি):





Views of the Biswa Bengal Shikhar in relation to its section (the red building in the center):









Cheers,
Jai

[Stephenapolis]

It looks like a very nice project. Very serene.