The Millennium Tower Had it been built, Sir Norman Foster's Millennium Tower would have been the last great skyscraper of the 20th Century. But Japan's sagging economy in the 1990s prevented the project from going forward and plans to construct the Millennium Tower had to be put on hold. Of course, grand unrealized plans to erect impossibly-high skyscrapers are nothing new.
Every week brings a new, extravagant plan to build a towering skyscraper.
Foster's Millennium Tower, however, may still see the light of day, reports Katy Harris of Foster and Partners. Although Foster's sponsor, Japanese developer Obayashi, abandoned its plan to have the stunning conical-shaped structure finished by the year 2000, the blueprint, should it be realized, promises a radical reconceptualization of what a skyscraper's function could and should be. A passionate advocate of creating visually-impressive structures that retain a sense of human scale, Foster's blueprint for the Millennium Tower advances this agenda without sacrificing an ounce of drama and wonder. Observation decks would also allow guests to take in the sweeping, panoramic view. With enough room to house 52,000 people, the Foster's towering skyscraper would, in essence, be a small floating city.