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Skidmore Owings & Merrill - Awards SOM SAN FRANCISCO HONORED WITH FIVE AWARDS AT AIA CALIFORNIA COUNCIL AWARD CEREMONY November 19, 2010 (San Francisco, California) – The Partners and Directors of the San Francisco office of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM) are pleased to announce that the office was honored with five awards from the American Institute of Architects California Council (AIA-CC) at the 2010 Awards and Installation Celebration held at the Solage Resort in Calistoga, California. Three projects received merit awards for design, the Structural Engineering Studio earned an achievement award for research and technology, and the 2011 firm award was bestowed on the San Francisco office. In the past two years, SOM’s San Francisco office has achieved a record-breaking number of accolades – nearly 90 awards for design and innovation. The US Embassy in Beijing, Merit Award for Architecture The new US Embassy in Beijing responds to its diplomatic role as a secure space that is both welcoming respectful of local traditions. AIA-CC praised the project as it “reflects American cultural, social, and political values while respecting China’s ancient and extraordinary vibrant culture.” Simple architectural geometrics, coupled with gardens and courtyards, symbolically fuse eastern and western traditions. Parkmerced Vision Plan, Merit Award for Urban Design AIA-CC hailed the Parkmerced Vision Plan as “a pioneering neighborhood revitalization effort.” The program transforms a 1950’s era, car-centric neighborhood into a holistic urban ecology through a comprehensive and innovative long-term development program based on the best-applied principles of environmental sustainability and neighborhood livability. The project promotes these principles by creating a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood that establishes a productive network of open space, applies evolving environmental technologies to reduce energy and water usage, and resolves automobile dependency by realigning public transit. Tianjin Financial City Vision Plan, Merit Award for Urban Design Tianjin has long been one of Asia’s leading trading cities with a financial heart running along Liberation Road. City officials adopted a plan to transform this deteriorating, yet historic, neighborhood into a modern 133-hectare Financial Street. SOM worked with city officials to develop an ancillary program for Tianjin Financial City to bring this new vision to life, proposing a rich mix of commercial, residential and recreational uses to create a vibrant mixed-use district. Through the integration of historic revitalization, compact density, riverfront access, and environmental sustainability, Liberation Road will become a unique and livable place among the high-rise sprawl found throughout Tianjin. SOM San Francisco Structural Engineering Studio, Achievement Award: Research & Technology Honor Award The SOM Structures Studio, under the direction of Mark Sarkisian, PE, SE, LEED® AP, was praised by AIA-CC: “Mark and the SOM Structures Studio strive to achieve the most environmentally responsive structures and have made significant contributions to the profession through their research and development.” Mark and his team have created seismic structural systems that allow buildings to behave mechanically during seismic events without sustaining damage in order to reduce the carbon footprint associated with repairs. They have devised a method to utilize post-consumer waste as building material. And through their commitment to raise awareness of the impact of buildings on the environment from the moment their built throughout their service life, have developed a tool to quantify carbon emissions of structures and the potential positive impact of using the enhanced structural systems and post-consumer inclusion systems they have invented. These new and innovative developments demonstrate their contributions and commitment to a safer and healthier built environment. The Structures Studio was commended by AIA-CC for being “on the leading edge in the field of seismic and sustainable engineering through the research and development of products and devices that contribute to more sustainable and environmentally responsible engineering practices.” SOM San Francisco, 2011 Firm Award The firm award is the highest honor the AIACC can bestow on an architecture firm. This award recognizes firms that have consistently produced distinguished architecture that transcends a specific area of expertise. SOM San Francisco’s mission is to elevate the quality of design and innovation in the profession and regenerate cities and campuses by holistically addressing the environment and enriching the human spirit. The firm also strives to make a significant, quantifiable reduction in the carbon footprint of new real estate developments on the Pacific Rim and in California. AIA-CC congratulated the firm’s achievements, stating “SOM San Francisco has contributed significantly to California’s architectural, cultural, and civic landscape, particularly over the past ten years.” SOM Architects - Building News FTP City Danang, Vietnam - 3 Mar 2011 picture : SOM China World Trade Tower, Beijing, China - 31 Aug 2010 photo : SOM, architects JTI headquarters Geneva, Switzerland - 10 May 2010 photo : SOM, architects Virginia Beach Convention Center, USA photo : SOM, architects Bruce Graham 1925 -2010 Former SOM partner died at home in Hobe Sound, Martin County, Florida, United States. Although he died on Saturday news emerged today, with a report in the Chicago Tribune. The Chicago Tribune report cause of the architect's death, according to son George, was complications from Alzheimer’s disease. Major Buildings by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill Buildings / Projects by SOM listed reverse chronologically: Beijing CBD Eastern Expansion, Beijing, China 2010- picture : SOM Beijing CBD Dawangjing District Masterplan, Beijing, China 2010- image : SOM and Crystal Dawangjing District Masterplan Harvard University Northwest Science Building, Massachusetts, USA 2010 photo courtesy of SOM © ESTO/Anton Grassl Harvard University Northwest Science Building Rice University BioScience Research Collaborative, Houston, Texas, USA 2009 Rice University BioScience Research Collaborative Digital Media City Landmark Tower, Seoul, Korea 2009- image : Skidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM) Digital Media City Landmark Tower New York Projects, USA : Skidmore, Owings & Merrill Health + Science Burj Khalifa, Dubai, UAE 2010 image : Skidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM) Burj Dubai tower : tallest building in world - renamed Burj Khalifa Al Hamra & Firdous tower - AHF Tower, Kuwait City, Kuwait 2007- image : Skidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM) Skidmore, Owings & Merrill - skyscraper MIPIM/Architectural Review “Future Project” Award 2008 ENERGY +, Paris, France 2008- image : pmBdesign French office building Arrowhead development – twin towers, Canary Wharf, London, UK 2007- SOM © Miller Hare Limited SOM Architects : Arrowhead office development Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong 1988 Marshall Strabala of Skidmore Owings Merrill LLP image : Skidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM) Hong Kong Convention Centre Leamouth tower, east London, UK : see Pan Peninsula King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia -2020 image : Skidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM) King Abdullah Economic City Learning Centre, Upper School, Greenwich Academy, Connecticut, USA 2004 Al Rajhi Bank Headquarters, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 2007- 201 Bishopsgate & The Broadgate Tower, Liverpool Street, City of London, UK 2008 photo © Adrian Welch The Broadgate Tower is 3rd tallest building in the City of London London building Pan Peninsula : Ballymore development, Leamouth Pennisula, London, UK 2007- image from TTA Group Pan Peninsula London Bridging the Rift Research facility, Wadi Araba, Jordan 2007- John Jay College of Criminal Justice, New York 2007- Nanjing Greenland Financial Center, China -2009 image : Skidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM) Nanjing Greenland Financial Center Lotte Super tower, Seoul, Korea 2007- Manhattanville redevelopment plan, Columbia University, New York, USA 2007 Renzo Piano Building Workshop with SOM image from RPBW Columbia University New York Buildings 5 Canada Square Building, London, England, UK 2003 photo : Skidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM) 5 Canada Square London The LG Kangnam Building, Seoul, South Korea 1997 photo : Skidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM) LG Kangnam Building : Development at LG Group corporate headquarters Key SOM Architects' Buildings Major Projects by Skidmore Owings Merrill, chronological: Lever Building, New York, USA 1952 Inland Steel Building, Chicago, Illinois, USA 1958 JP Morgan Chase, New York, USA 1960 One Chase Manhattan Plaza, New York, USA 1960 Beinecke Library, New Haven, Connecticut, USA 1963 John Hancock Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA 1970 Sears Tower, Wacker Drive, Chicago, USA 1973 Sears Tower Chicago : classic Skidmore, Owings & Merrill building Arts Hotel, Barcelona, Spain 1992 Jin Mao Tower, Lujiazui, Pudong, Shanghai, China 1998 photo © Andrew McRae Jin Mao Building Tallest building in China since 2005; Seventh tallest building in world at time of writing AMP Tower, Melbourne, Australia - Docomomo Australia is lobbying for the protection of AMP Tower by SOM Architects Time Warner Center, New York, USA 2004 photo © Andrew McRae Time Warner Center New York Freedom Tower - Site of World Trade Center, New York, USA 2004- Selected Skidmore Owings Merrill Buildings in more detail Freedom Tower - Site of World Trade Center, Ground Zero, Lower Manhattan, USA 2004- Daniel Libeskind Architects + David Childs of SOM Architects Controversial towers to replace the New York World Trade Centre skyscrapers lost in 2001. The main Freedom Tower skyscraper by Libeskind was to be a significant number of feet high - 1,776 feet - to mark a key American date in history - United States Year of Independence; the building was largely handed over to architect David Childs of Skidmore Owings Merrill, architects. World Trade Centre Towers : WTC7 New York photo © Andrew McRae Lever Building (Lever House), 390 Park Avenue, New York City, USA 1950-52 Gordon Bunschaft of Skidmore Owings Merrill Architects (SOM Architects) A beautiful piece of New York architecture by SOM facing Mies van der Rohe's Seagram Building and trying to give it a run for its money. Having had a good look at both I think Mies just wins but nevertheless this Skidmore Owings Merrill skyscraper was a classic in its day, podium and tower: Lever Building Arts Hotel, Barcelona, La Marina 19, Port Olimpic, Barcelona 1992 Bruce Graham of Skidmore Owings Merrill Architects (SOM Architects) photo © Adrian Welch This spanish tower by SOM (left of the image) is 154m high and uses and expressed, white-painted regular structural frame. Located immediately west of the Mapfre Tower building (right of image): Arts Hotel Barcelona 9 West 57th Street - Office Tower, New York City, USA 1974 Gordon Bunschaft of Skidmore Owings Merrill Architects (SOM Architects) photo © Andrew McRae aka Solow Building - 49 storeys, 672 ft high - concave vertical slope for lighting SOM Architects : 9 West 57th Street Similar to W. R. Grace Building because the initial, rejected façade design for the 9 West 57th Street Building was used in the design for the W. R. Grace Building JP Morgan Chase New York, 270 Park Avenue, New York City, USA 1957-60 Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, Architects This Manhattan skyscraper is 215m high One Chase Manhattan Plaza (Chase Manhattan Bank), New York City, USA 1960 Gordon Bunschaft / Skidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM) Infinity Tower, Dubai, UAE 2006- 80 storeys, 330m high New Providence Wharf, Isle of Dogs, east London 2004 Residential crescent-shaped building on Thames 58m high, 19 storeys Ontario Tower, New Providence Wharf site, Isle of Dogs, east London 2007 Residential tower 106m high, 31 storeys Al Sharq Tower, Sheik Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE 2007- 360m high, 100 storeys SOM Architects : Dubai building Ludgate West, City of London, London, UK 1992 1 Ludgate Place; 10 Ludgate Place; 100 Ludgate Hill 201 Bishopsgate, City of London, UK - Stockley Park – Buildings B9, B10 & B11, Heathrow, Middlesex - Toronto Lester Pearson International Airport expansion, Toronto, Canada 2007-10 Moshe Safdie and Associates Inc with Skidmore Owings & Merrill ; Adamson Architects Broadgate, City of London, UK 1984-91 Arup Associates with Skidmore Owings & Merrill Famous and celebrated piece of urban design, focused on the circular ice rink-cum-piazza: 13 buildings Rolex Tower, Dubai, UAE 2009 63 storeys W.R. Grace Building, 1114 Sixth Ave, southeast corner of W.43rd St, Manhattan, USA 1974 Gordon Bunschaft of Skidmore Owings Merrill Architects (SOM Architects) Bowing façade due to light regulations, rather than more normal rectilinear stepbacks Similar bowed facade as 9 West 57th Street (Solow Building) also by SOM: rejected façade design for the Solow Building used in his design for the W R Grace Building. Broadgate West II, Hackney, east London, UK 2003 13 storeys, 55m high More Skidmore Owings Merrill - SOM projects online soon

SOM - Practice Information

Skidmore Owings Merrill studios based in the USA and other locations across the globe

SOM partner : Walter Netsch

SOM partner : Gordon Bunschaft

Gordon Bunschaft of SOM (+ Oscar Niemeyer) : Pritzker Prize Winners 1988

Chicago Buildings

World Skyscrapers

Skidmore Owings & Merrill : American Architects

New York Architects

Context to the above buildings by SOM Architects

New York Architecture

London Architecture

Former SOM designer : Marshall Strabala

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