One world trade center leads best tall buildings awards
One World Trade Center leads this year's awards for Best Tall Buildings. The prizes, awarded by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, are an independent review of new projects in the past year, judged by a panel of experts. They aspire to provide "a more comprehensive and sophisticated view of these important structures", while advocating for improvements in every aspect of performance, including those that have the greatest positive effect on the people who use the buildings and the cities they inhabit.
"This year's winners and finalists are remarkable in that they show a strong commitment to sustainability," says the CTBUH, "with some exemplifying dramatic progress in the use of greenery both to enhance the comfort of the building’s users and reduce the environmental impact of the building."
Winners were selected from each of four competing global regions, from 123 nominees across 33 countries.
One World Trade Center headed up the Americas section, hailed as a "bold new icon" in the New York skyline.
"[The] design acknowledges the adjacent memorial, and whose symbolic importance to the city and the country cannot be overstated. Its form calls to mind several classical New York skyscrapers for which the city is best recognized. The building had high design expectations which the jury felt were met and exceeded."
CapitaGreen in Singapore was the winner for Asia & Australasia, thanks to the green living vegetation that covers 55 per cent of the perimeter of its facade.
The jury noted that the building presented "a new way forward for high-rise vegetated façades by placing them within the double skin, offering the potential for solar shade and even agricultural output, as well as environmental and psychological benefits".
An equally green success story was Bosco Verticale in Milan, which incorporates 90+ species of vegetation, as well as numberous trees.
"The scheme is exceptional in that the plants act as an extension of the tower’s exterior envelope. The jury called this exploration of the viability of greenery at such heights groundbreaking."
Burj Mohammed Bin Rashid Tower in Abu Dhabi was the best tall building in ME & Africa, thanks to the way that it blends into its cultural and geographic context.
"The jury appreciated that the tower’s undulating cladding creates a mirage effect that alludes to its desert ambience. A marketplace based on the traditional souk, with offerings ranging from modern luxury goods to regional artisanal crafts, helps integrate the tower to its surroundings."
An overall winner for Best Tall Building Worldwide will be selected from the four regional winners and announced in November.
Which is your favourite?