His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, recently unveiled the design for Burj Jumeira, an aerodynamic, 550-meter tower located in the Al Sufouh area of the popular Jumeirah neighborhood of Dubai. The SOM-designed skyscraper will be one of the tallest buildings in the world.
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) recognized three SOM projects in its 2019 Institute Honor Awards program. The Detroit East Riverfront Framework Plan, the New United States Courthouse in Los Angeles, and Optimo Hat Company in Chicago each received an award.
On January 29th, Africa’s largest urban developer, Rendeavour, in partnership with the Lagos State Government, broke ground on a new city development in the Lekki Free Zone. The master plan by SOM is designed to boost foreign direct investment in Nigeria and create tens of thousands of jobs.
In January, 2019, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel was joined by officials from the City of Chicago, the Chicago Housing Authority, and the Chicago Public Library to inaugurate the new Taylor Street Apartments and Little Italy Branch Library. The project is one the city’s first co-located housing and public library branches.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has unveiled the finalists in a competition to design a new Global Terminal at O’Hare International Airport, including a team led by SOM, with renowned firms Ross Barney Architects and Arup. Public voting for all five submissions is open through January 23rd.
The new SOM-designed Chicago Public Library, West Loop Branch, has opened as the first-ever public library in the neighborhood and the 81st branch for the city. The branch was donated to the City of Chicago by Sterling Bay as part of the ongoing transformation of the West Loop.
SOM welcomes Julie Michiels, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP, as Associate Director and Design Leader for the firm’s Interior Design practice in Chicago. An experienced architect, interior designer, and project leader, Michiels will help lead SOM’s global portfolio of interior projects.
SOM's master plan for New Covent Garden Market has won the Merit Award for Excellence in Urban Design at the American Institute of Architects (AIA) International Region Awards 2018. The master plan represents the largest development in London’s Nine Elms regeneration area.
Tanjong Pagar Centre in Singapore is now fully open. Situated between the city’s Central Business District and historic Chinatown, the development brings vibrant public space to a prime location, and was recognized with six awards from EdgeProp Singapore.
In October 2018, Barnard College celebrated the grand opening of The Cheryl and Philip Milstein Center for Teaching and Learning. The 128,000-square-foot building is a new place of interdisciplinary scholarship serving both Barnard and Columbia University students, at the heart of the school's Morningside Heights campus in New York City.
On October 25th, SOM and the Skyway Concession Company announced the completion of the restoration of the Chicago Skyway toll plaza canopy. Located on the city’s southern edge, the canopy preserves the structure's original design while incorporating new streamlined sustainability and technology features.
As part of Chicago Design Week 2018, SOM will present a special exhibition of its Kinematic Sculpture, a 27-foot-long origami-like pavilion. Designed, engineered, and built entirely in-house, the sculpture demonstrates the application of SOM’s cutting-edge structural engineering research.
Keith P. O’Connor has joined SOM as the new City Design Practice Leader for the New York and Washington D.C. offices. O’Connor’s appointment reinforces SOM's commitment to exceptional urban design and expands the firm's focus on regenerative urbanism.
Six newly elected Partners and 11 Directors bring decades of expertise to one of the most influential architecture, interior design, engineering, and urban planning firms.
On September 12, 2018, Mayor Tim Mahoney of Fargo, North Dakota, joined local civic and business leaders to break ground on Block 9, an 18-story mixed-use tower in the heart of downtown Fargo. The building is designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM) and developed by Block 9 Partners, a partnership of Kilbourne Group and R.D. Offutt Company.
