Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP was an Award Winner for its Poly International Plaza project in the 2016 NCSEA Annual Excellence in Structural Engineering Awards Program in the Category – New Buildings over $100M.
The elliptically shaped, faceted exterior of the 530-foot (161.2-meters) tall Poly International Plaza iconic tower in Beijing was inspired by Chinese paper lanterns to shimmer as it reflects the sky. It is the first structure of its kind, incorporating a four-story super diagrid frame module without perimeter columns and designed to remain essentially elastic in a region of high seismicity. As a non-prescriptive structural system, careful attention was paid to the behavior of the structure, and enhanced analysis and design objectives were set and met.