Fifteen skyscraper projects were honored this week with design and innovation awards from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) at the group's 2019 Tall + Urban Innovation Conference in Shenzhen, China. This is the 17th year CTBUH has formally recognized the world's top new tall buildings.
The 1,070-foot Salesforce Tower in San Francisco beat out dozens of skyscrapers from across the globe to take the top honor: Best Tall Building Worldwide for 2019.
Awards Jury Chair Karl Fender, Founding Partner of Fender Katsalidis Architects, described Salesforce Tower as a “building that gives back,” with a multipronged focus on occupant health, sustainability, structural efficiency, and a significant level of integration with the surrounding urban habitat.
More jury comments on Salesforce Tower:
"Standing as the tallest building in San Francisco, this tower pushes new limits in both its performance as a leading-edge office tower and its robust seismic design, while establishing significant connections to the surrounding urban habitat."
"The building stands as the centerpiece of a new transit-oriented, mixed-use neighborhood recently freed up for development following the demolition of an aging transit center. The result is not just a contribution to the city skyline, but a highly successful exercise in human-centric and resilient design for tall buildings."
The other Best Tall Building category winners are:
Best Tall Building Awards, Under 100 Meters: Forma Itaim, São Paulo
© Kelson Kon courtesy CTHUH
Jury comments: A response to growing residential demand of a prosperous upper middle class in São Paulo, Forma Itaim stands out with its variety of façade treatments, featuring a vibrant color-coated terra cotta cladding and a perforated aluminum double-skin.
Best Tall Building Awards, 100–199 Meters: Amorepacific Headquarters, Seoul
© Namsun Lee, courtesy CTBUH
Jury comments: By elevating the external layer of the façade, the entrance level opens up to the city and draws the public into a generous atrium. A rich mixture of public amenities–from art museum to auditorium, library and restaurants–connect this headquarters tower to its urban context.
Best Tall Building Awards, 200–299 Meters: Shenzhen Energy Headquarters, Shenzhen
© Chao Zhang, courtesy CTBUH
Jury comments: Enclosed in a finely attuned skin for its subtropical climate, the façade oscillates between transparency and opacity, reducing solar gain for occupant comfort and efficiency. The north and south towers are linked by an eight-story podium housing the main lobbies, commercial areas, conference centers and a cafeteria.
Best Tall Building Awards, 300–399 Meters: Salesforce Tower, San Francisco
© Jason O'Rear, courtesy CTBUH
Jury comments: Standing as the tallest building in San Francisco, this tower pushes new limits in both its performance as a leading-edge office tower and its robust seismic design, while establishing significant connections to the surrounding urban habitat.
Best Tall Building Awards, 400 Meters and Above: Ping An Finance Center, Shenzhen
© Tim Griffith, courtesy CTBUH
Jury comments: Located in Shenzhen’s new central business district, the Ping An Finance Center is the city’s tallest building. With more than 100 floors of office space and a large podium with retail and conference space, the project also connects to neighboring commercial and residential properties and public transportation.
Best Tall Building Awards, Office Building: European Patent Office, Rijswijk
© EPO + Ossop Van Duivenbode, courtesy CTBUH
Jury comments: This project represents the European Patent Office’s largest single investment in its 40-year history in the Netherlands. Built under BREEAM standards and BNB standards, an array of photovoltaic solar panels on the roof sky garden provide a source of renewable energy while a double-skin façade houses hanging gardens.
Best Tall Building Awards, Residential or Hotel Building: 277 Fifth Avenue, New York City
© Victor Nomad LLC, courtesy CTBUH
Jury comments: Transparency, glass, and expansive views are the defining characteristics of the building. To generate a uniform floor plate and units of the desired size, the building is cantilevered over an existing five-story brownstone.
Best Tall Building Awards, Mixed-Use Building: Kampung Admiralty, Singapore
© K. Kopter, courtesy CTBUH
Jury comments: A vertical village that contains senior apartments, a community plaza, medical center, and an urban farm, this prototype for land-use intensification is aimed specifically at an aging society.
Read about all the CTBUH 2019 Award winners
Related Stories
High-rise Construction | Apr 28, 2016
bKL Architecture proposes world’s third tallest tower for China
The mixed-use H700 Shenzhen Tower will have sky gardens, angled recesses, and an attached plaza. It will trail only the Burj Khalifa and the Jeddah Tower in terms of height.
Mixed-Use | Apr 24, 2016
Atlanta’s Tech Square is establishing The ATL’s Midtown district as a premier innovation center
A much anticipated, Portman-developed tower project will include collaborative office spaces, a data center, and a retail plaza.
High-rise Construction | Apr 21, 2016
Ingenhoven Architects unveils plans for two Tokyo towers
The Toranomon District will add a business and a residential high-rise, both of which feature green and energy-efficient design.
High-rise Construction | Apr 20, 2016
OMA reveals designs for its first Tokyo skyscraper
The goal is for the Toranomon Hills Station Tower to transform its neighborhood and serve as a hub for international business.
High-rise Construction | Apr 12, 2016
Santiago Calatrava tower in Dubai could be taller than the Burj Khalifa
The slender structure will have 10 observation platforms, two Hanging Gardens decks, and a illuminating flower bud at the top.
Virtual Reality | Apr 8, 2016
Skanska will use Microsoft HoloLens to lease planned Seattle high rise
The mixed reality headset will allow people to take a holographic tour of the building while keeping visual contact with the leasing representative.
BIM and Information Technology | Apr 5, 2016
Interactive 3D map shows present and future Miami skyline
The Downtown Miami Interactive 3-D Skyline Map lets users see the status of every downtown office, retail, residential, and hotel project.
High-rise Construction | Mar 28, 2016
SOM’s Salt Lake City skyscraper uses innovative structural system to suspend itself over a neighboring building
The hat truss-supported office tower was topped off in January, rising 25 stories above the Salt Lake City streets.
High-rise Construction | Mar 18, 2016
'High-Rise' movie, based on the novel of the same name, headed to theaters
The story, which was originally thought to be a critique of London’s city planning, takes place in a high-rise divided to mimic the historical class structure of Western society.
High-rise Construction | Mar 10, 2016
Bigger, taller, wider: London’s skyline is about to have a major growth spurt
More than 100 tall buildings have been added to the plans for the capital city since this time last year, and the overall number of tall buildings planned for London is now over 400.
