One Central Park
Location: Sydney
Architect: Design architect: Ateliers Jean Nouvel. Architect of record: PTW Architects (gardens by Patrick Blanc)
Completed: 2014

Photo: Murray Fredericks

When we talk about 'green buildings' we usually mean those that are designed to be kind to the environment. But, increasingly, buildings are becoming literally green too. One Central Park in Sydney, for example, features a hanging garden which transforms the look of the building from a pristine tower of glass and steel into something a lot more natural and organic looking.

Photo: John Gollings Photography

The building has been named best tall building in the world for 2014 by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.

Its other key features include a cantilevered heliostat, an internal water recycling plant and low-carbon tri-generation power plant. One Central Park has been awarded a five-star green star by the Green Building Council Australia. A hovering cantilever crowns the pinnacle of One Central Park, which contains the tower's most luxurious penthouses.

Here, an assembly of motorised mirrors capture sunlight and reflect it down onto the building's gardens. At night, an LED art installation by artist Yann Kersalé comes to life, creating a beautiful, shimmering canopy.

Photo: Murray Fredericks