In its March 2014 issue, dubbed “The Big Issue,” Architectural Record magazine spotlights large-scale buildings around the globe. Four SOM projects are featured, from the super-green Pearl River Tower in Guangzhou, China, to the striking new Terminal 2 in Mumbai.
Pearl River Tower
In the feature story “Towering Ambition,” senior editor Joann Gonchar visits the Pearl River Tower in Guangzhou. Rising 1,020 feet, the 2.3-million-square-foot skyscraper is notable for its distinctive form and ultra-green design. As Gonchar notes, “the building merits a close look for its highly integrated approach to sustainability, an approach that helped the PRT earn LEED Platinum — one of only a handful of supertall towers to attain this status.”
U.S. Consulate General Complex in Guangzhou
In the feature story “Diplomatic Position,” writer Clare Jacobson tours the new U.S. Consulate General Complex in Guangzhou. Comprising seven buildings on a 7.4-acre site, the complex features a materials palette of stone, wood, glass, and weathering steel. SOM Partner Craig Hartman says the campus is meant to have an elegant, quiet aesthetic. “When we build representations of our values,” he says, “the architecture should reflect a certain level of modesty.”
Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport – Terminal 2
In the news story “Airport Terminal is a Trove of Art,” writer Wendy Moonan travels to Mumbai to see the new Terminal 2 at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport. In the story, SOM Partner Roger Duffy notes how the developer was determined to build a transit hub like no other. “He said ‘It had to be of its place,’ with an Indian identity,” explains Duffy. “We flew all around India and brought in top Indian artists, designers, and craftsmen to help.”
San Bernardino Justice Center
In this month’s “Market Focus” story, Architectural Record examines the government building sector. SOM made the “Top 5 Design Firms” list, which ranked firms based on government-building construction starts from January 2011 to December 2013. Moreover, the SOM-designed San Bernardino Justice Center, which will include 35 courtrooms and two hearing rooms, is featured in the article.