by Brianna Crandall — January 10, 2014—Global architecture, engineering, design and building services firm Skidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM) recently released the design plans for a 530-meter skyscraper in Jakarta, Indonesia, that will not only reach twice the height of Wisma 46, currently the tallest building in Indonesia, but will harvest wind energy through an integrated “wind funnel” in an opening at its peak.
The Pertamina Energy Tower will consolidate office space for Indonesian state-owned energy company PT Pertamina (Persero), with a capacity of 23,000 workers on 99 floors. The new landmark on the city skyline will serve as a city within a city, equipped with supporting functions such as a convention hall, an energy center, a sports facility, and a mosque with a capacity of 5,000 people.
According to SOM, the integrated campus is the world’s first supertall tower for which energy is the primary design driver. The gently tapered top of the tower opens to reveal a “wind funnel” that will use the prevailing winds to generate energy, and the tower’s curved façade is calibrated to mitigate solar heat gain at Jakarta’s location near the equator.
Exterior sun shades will help optimize the workplace environment and save energy through a reduced need for artificial lighting. Overall, SOM says the development will reduce water demand and target zero discharge while reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 26 percent by the year 2020 and generating 25 percent energy from renewable resources by the year 2020.
The sustainable campus will be linked by the “Energy Ribbon,” a covered walkway that provides sun and rain protection and generates energy through solar photovoltaics (PV) along its roof surface, spanning land bridges and gardens to create an array of accessible public spaces, adds SOM.
The supertall is targeting a Platinum green building certificate from the Green Building Certificate Institute.
