SOM was honored for three projects at the fourth annual China Real Estate Design Awards, presented on April 27th, 2018. Poly International Plaza, China World Trade Center 3B, and Ningbo Bank of China Headquarters each received awards. The annual program recognizes projects that have played a significant role in improving the built environment throughout China. A jury of academics, practitioners, and representatives from the real estate industry selected the winners.
Poly International Plaza received a Gold Award in the Comprehensive category, the program’s highest honor. Located in Beijing, the project comprises a main tower and two smaller towers. The design of the tallest tower’s exterior, inspired by Chinese paper lanterns, is formed by a continuous diagrid pattern.
China World Trade Center 3B and Ningbo Bank of China Headquarters both received Merit Awards in the Commercial and Office category. Completed in 2017, China World Trade Center 3B is the most recent addition to a mixed-use campus in Beijing’s Central Business Distric. Tower 3B stands at 296 meters tall, adjacent to the SOM-designed Tower 3A, and is designed to achieve LEED® Gold certification.
Ningbo Bank of China Headquarters consolidates the Bank of China’s operations, bringing nearly 8,000 employees from both Zhejiang and Ningbo under one roof. Triangular in plan with rounded corners, the 50-story tower gradually rotates around a vertical axis as it rises. The building uses optimized perimeter columns and a downward draping geometry to create a seamless form. Its design reduces structural torque and also minimizes the amount of construction materials needed.