Press Release

SOM Headlines 2012 CTBUH World Congress

Chicago, IL: SOM leadership converged in Shanghai for the Council on Tall Building and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) 9th World Congress. The event, entitled “Asia Ascending: The Age of the Sustainable Skyscraper City”, occurred September 19-21 at the SOM-designed Jin Mao Tower. Completed in 1999, Jin Mao was one of the firm’s earliest works in China. The CTBUH Shanghai Congress united 800 industry leaders to address the issues currently facing global skyscraper cities. As gold sponsors of the event, the SOM delegation of fifteen discussed how an innovative new generation of architecture and urban planning is leading China into the twenty-first century. On Wednesday, September 19th, SOM Design Partner Brian Lee presented “Considering Place in an Integrated Approach to Tall Building Design”, along with SOM Structural Engineering Partner and CTBUH Trustee, William F. Baker. They were joined by SOM Urban Planning Director Ellen Lou, who addressed a wide range of urban planning challenges as she discussed “A 21st Century Vision for Chinese Cities” on Friday, September 21st. SOM’s participation also extends to the firm’s exclusive sponsorship of the CTBUH 2012 Journal Issue III. Distributed to every conference delegate, the journal features a cover story on SOM’s innovative Suzhou Center, the latest in a series of iconic buildings developed with Shanghai’s Greenland Group. About CTBUH The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat is the world’s leading resource for professionals focused on the design and construction of tall buildings and future cities. A not-for-profit organization based at the Illinois Institute of Technology, the group facilitates the exchange of the latest knowledge available on tall buildings around the world through events, publications and its extensive network of international representatives. Its free database on tall buildings, The Skyscraper Center, is updated daily with detailed information, images and news. The CTBUH also developed the international standards for measuring tall building height and is recognized as the arbiter for bestowing such designations as “The World’s Tallest Building.” About Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM) is one of the leading architecture, interior design, engineering, and urban planning firms in the world, with a 75-year reputation for design excellence and a portfolio that includes some of the most important architectural accomplishments of the 20th and 21st centuries. Since its inception, SOM has been a leader in the research and development of specialized technologies, new processes and innovative ideas, many of which have had a palpable and lasting impact on the design profession and the physical environment. The firm has been honored with more than 1,400 awards for quality, innovation,and management. The firm maintains offices in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, London, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Brussels, Abu Dhabi and Dubai.