Maybe that's because condos have windows that only face away from the building. Perhaps if they were built with interior common areas (like a town square) with windows facing them, that would change everything.
I currently am on the 40th with a view away from the building. I am trying to move to the 12th with a view across the facilities (pools mostly, it’s Asia). I’m curious whether that will change how I feel about the building.
I was surprised that building codes allowed such construction here in the UK as there’s lots of rules about sound insulation between units.
Think town square.
Sunlight could be dealt with by not enclosing all sides of the common area, have the south side be windows to the outside.
But in an enclosed courtyard, there would be apartments across the way at eye level. Though that's solved by scale. With a large enough complex, the courtyard distance isn't much different than apartments across the street.
They're likely much closer together than any opposing courtyard windows would be.
It's a bit different since you have two separate, not necessarily functionally or aesthetically compatible, structures. But that almost certainly makes it worse than if you were able to design opposing views simultaneously.
If it is formed of curved walls, it could be a nice place to put a solar-thermal plant.
I do love courtyards though, and am always a little heartbroken when I visit someone at a place that has one and realize that no one really uses it.
Tower social housing failed, mostly because it turns out concentrating poverty is a terrible idea, but that would be true if it were towers or two-story houses. And separating uses aggravated the problems by providing less diversity of people who could keep "eyes on the street" active. But none of that is really inherent to tower design.