The Council on Vertical Urbanism (CVU) has named Sany IROOTECH Headquarters in Guangzhou, China, the 2026 Best Tall Building Worldwide. Announced at the 2026 VU Summit in London last night, the project also received awards for Best Tall Building (200–299 meters), Best Tall Building in Asia, and the Structure Award.

Commissioned by Sany Group for its cloud-technology venture IROOTECH, the project was designed by SOM in collaboration with the Beijing Institute of Architectural Design (BIAD). The two mixed-use towers, rising 204 and 186 meters, were completed in December 2024 in Guangzhou’s Pazhou district. An elevated podium connecting the towers opens the ground plane to a public plaza with gardens and art. Above, dining, retail, and exhibition spaces overlook the plaza, while a 24-hour public elevator connects the podium to the district’s network of covered walkways.

SOM’s WeBank Headquarters in Shenzhen, China, also received the Systems Award.

Now in its 24th year, the CVU Award of Excellence program recognizes built and proposed projects that advance sustainable vertical urbanism across architecture, engineering, construction, urban design, and policy.