Modern Skyscraper
A towering glass-and-steel skyscraper with a distinctive silhouette, lobby, office floors, and a penthouse. A landmark build for any server or city project.
Overview
The Modern Skyscraper is a modern build aimed at clean contemporary architecture with flat planes, glass and bold materials, and its character comes mainly from how the quartz is shaped and detailed. At 20x60x20 blocks (20 wide, 60 tall and 20 deep) it is huge, covering a 400-block footprint on the ground.
It is rated expert, the hardest tier here; it demands large material stockpiles, real building or technical redstone skill, and a serious time commitment from an experienced player. Following the 60 steps below, plan for about 240-360 min. The Modern Skyscraper is achievable in survival, though its large glass spans and quartz take a fair amount of gathering before you begin.
The bulk of the work is the 1024 white concrete that form the main body, alongside 6 different materials in total (about 2032 blocks and items all told). Lighting comes from sea lantern, which both finishes the look and stops mobs spawning in or on the build.
Materials Needed
Gather the 1024 white concrete first, since it is the most-used block; the remaining 5 materials are accents and fittings used in smaller amounts. Mine roughly 10-15% extra of the main block to cover mistakes and a few decorative changes on a build this size. Make sure the light blue glass pane are crafted ahead of time, as those are the pieces most likely to be missing mid-build. Quantities are sized for the dimensions shown, so scale them up proportionally if you build a larger version.
| Material | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Light Blue Glass Pane | 512 |
| White Concrete | 1024 |
| Iron Block | 64 |
| Sea Lantern | 48 |
| Stone Slab | 128 |
| Quartz Block | 256 |
Click any material to view it on the Items database.
Step-by-Step Overview
A high-level construction order for the Modern Skyscraper, from the ground up. Each phase below covers several of the 60 in-game steps.
- 1Mark a strict 20x20 grid for the Modern Skyscraper; the modern style lives or dies on clean right angles and a flat footprint.
- 2Build the structural frame in quartz, keeping the walls of the Modern Skyscraper flat and resisting the urge to over-texture them.
- 3Install large light blue glass pane spans as floor-to-ceiling windows — the glazing is the single most recognisable feature of a modern Modern Skyscraper.
- 4Top the Modern Skyscraper with a flat or low-slope roof and a slab parapet rather than a pitched roof.
- 5Finish with restrained accent colours, recessed lighting and minimal, deliberate landscaping around the Modern Skyscraper.
Build Tips
- 1Plan the floor template before building upward.
- 2Light blue glass panes simulate tinted office windows.
- 3Vary the floor plate shape every 10 floors for visual interest.
- 4Add a spire or antenna at the top for height.
Tips & Variations
Keep mobs out by spacing your sea lantern so no floor tile or nearby surface in the Modern Skyscraper sits below light level 1; a single dark corner is all it takes for something to spawn inside.
To resize the Modern Skyscraper, keep its 20x20 proportions and grow both axes together; stretching one direction alone tends to make it look thin. A half-size or double-size version both work as long as you scale the 2032-block material list to match.
For a different look, swap the quartz in the Modern Skyscraper for another palette that fits your biome: the shape stays identical, but the colour and texture of the main block changes the whole feel of it.
The flat-box trap is the thing to avoid: break the long quartz walls of the Modern Skyscraper with depth changes, stairs, slabs and trim, and overhang the roof by a block so it casts a shadow line instead of reading as a plain cube.
Frequently Asked Questions
How hard is the Modern Skyscraper build?
It is rated expert, the hardest tier here; it demands large material stockpiles, real building or technical redstone skill, and a serious time commitment from an experienced player. It is laid out in 60 steps and takes about 240-360 min to finish.
What blocks do you need for the Modern Skyscraper?
The main block is white concrete (around 1024), and the full list runs to 6 materials — mostly white concrete, light blue glass pane and quartz block. Altogether that is roughly 2032 blocks and items; the complete table with exact counts is above.
How big is the Modern Skyscraper?
It measures 20x60x20 blocks — 20 wide, 60 tall and 20 deep — which is huge and takes up a 400-block footprint. You can shrink or enlarge it by keeping those proportions.
Is the Modern Skyscraper survival-friendly?
The Modern Skyscraper is achievable in survival, though its large glass spans and quartz take a fair amount of gathering before you begin.
What biome or setting suits the Modern Skyscraper best?
Because the Modern Skyscraper leans on quartz, it sits most naturally wherever that material reads as "local" — but it is portable: swap the palette to your biome's blocks and the same shape works anywhere.
What makes the Modern Skyscraper different from similar builds?
It is best understood through its focus on skyscraper, modern and glass. Those traits drive the material list and layout described above, and are what set this modern build apart from a generic skyscraper build.
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