In a feature article in Issue 39, Glocal Design Magazine spotlights SOM as the lead designer of the BBVA Bancomer Operations Center in Mexico City. The article chronicles a selection of SOM’s projects—Lever House, John Hancock Center, and the Hajj Terminal at King Abdulaziz International Airport—that served as inspiration for the BBVA building and illustrate SOM’s strengths as a firm.
Glocal highlights Lever House in New York City, one of the first International Style glass office buildings in the United States, as a project that set the precedent for glass-walled buildings and the modern day skyscraper. Citing the John Hancock Center in Chicago, the article presents the collaboration between architect Bruce Graham and structural engineer Fazlur Khan as demonstrative of the wide spectrum of disciplines represented in SOM’s design work. Lastly, the Hajj Terminal at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, is recognized as an indicator of SOM’s ability to meet distinct cultural and design requirements.
The article includes insight from SOM Design Partner Gary Haney and Associate Directors Kim Van Holsbeke and Edward Guerra. Their cohesive message focuses on educating the next generation of architects and designers by fostering collaboration and teamwork. States Haney, young people need to “…stop thinking individually and learn to work more as a team. Patience is the most important quality for an architect.”
The narrative above is a summary of the original Spanish-language article in Glocal Design Magazine.