VIA 57 West in New York City and The Cube in Beirut, Lebanon, were among the winners named in the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat's 2016 Tall Building Awards.
The triangular window-covered VIA 57 earned the Best Tall Building in the Americas nod, and The Cube, a 186-foot building made of stacked concrete levels, got the distinction of being the Best Tall Building in Middle East & Africa.
Eight projects were named winners across five categories. Best Tall Buildings were named in Asia & Australia, and Europe, in addition to the Americas and the Middle East & Africa. Shanghai Tower won the Asia region and The White Walls building in Nicosia, Cyprus, took the Europe category.
The four winners, and 12 finalists, “exhibit processes and innovations that have added to the profession of design and enhance the cities and the lives of their inhabitants,” according to CTBUH.
Other winners were named for the Urban Habitat Award, a master plan which has led to a quality urban environment; the Innovation Award, a notable aspect of the design, construction, or operation of a project; the Performance Award, a project that has the least environmental impact on the urban realm; and the 10 Year Award, a culmination of value and performance of buildings that have operated for a decade. CTBUH said it received 132 submissions in total.
A seven-member multidisciplinary Main Jury selected the regional Best Tall Building winners and the Urban Habitat award, and a seven-person engineering-focused Technical Jury chose the Innovation Award and the Performance Award winners. The Technical Jury also aided the Main Jury in selecting Best Tall Building winners. The CTBUH Board of Trustees picked the 10 Year Award winner.
Winners and finalists’ projects can be viewed at the CTBUH’s website.
Related Stories
| Jun 17, 2014
World's tallest pair of towers to serve as 'environmental catalyst' for China
The Phoenix Towers are expected to reach 1 km, the same height as Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill's Kingdom Tower, but would set a record for multiple towers in one development.
| Jun 6, 2014
KPF, Kevin Roche unveil design for 51-story Hudson Yards tower in NYC [slideshow]
Related Companies and Oxford Properties Group are teaming to develop Fifty Five Hudson Yards, the latest addition to the commercial office tower collection in the 28-acre Hudson Yards development—the largest private real estate development in the history of the U.S.
| Jun 3, 2014
Libeskind's latest skyscraper breaks ground in the Philippines
The Century Spire, Daniel Libeskind's latest project, has just broken ground in Century City, southwest of Manila. It is meant to accommodate apartments and offices.
| May 29, 2014
Wood advocacy groups release 'lessons learned' report on tall wood buildings
The wood-industry advocacy group reThink Wood has released "Summary Report: Survey of International Tall Wood Buildings," with informatino from 10 mid-rise projects in Europe, Australia, and Canada.
| May 29, 2014
Five finalists, including SOM and Zaha Hadid, chosen in competition for Sweden's tallest skyscraper
In Sernecke's competition to design Sweden's tallest skyscraper, five finalists have been selected: Manuelle Gautrand Architects, Ian Simpson Architects, SOM, Wingårdhs Arkitektkontor, and Zaha Hadid Architects.
| May 28, 2014
KPF's dual towers in Turkey will incorporate motifs, symbols of Ottoman Empire
The two-building headquarters for Turkey’s largest and oldest financial institution, Ziraat Bank, is inspired by the country’s cultural heritage.
| May 20, 2014
Kinetic Architecture: New book explores innovations in active façades
The book, co-authored by Arup's Russell Fortmeyer, illustrates the various ways architects, consultants, and engineers approach energy and comfort by manipulating air, water, and light through the layers of passive and active building envelope systems.
| May 2, 2014
Norwegian modular project set to be world's tallest timber-frame apartment building [slideshow]
A 14-story luxury apartment block in central Bergen, Norway, will be the world's tallest timber-framed multifamily project, at 49 meters (160 feet).
| May 1, 2014
Chinese spec 'world's fastest' elevators for supertall project
Hitachi Elevator Co. will build and install 95 elevators—including two that the manufacturer labels as the "world's fastest"—for the Kohn Pedersen Fox-designed Guangzhou CTF Finance Center.
Smart Buildings | Apr 28, 2014
Cities Alive: Arup report examines latest trends in urban green spaces
From vertical farming to glowing trees (yes, glowing trees), Arup engineers imagine the future of green infrastructure in cities across the world.