Chicago’s UI Labs is a high-tech makerspace and fabrication lab that enlists experts from government, industry, academia, and the public to solve a wide range of problems at the intersection of technology and urban life. That made it the perfect venue for a Metropolis Think Tank panel discussion about the future of autonomous vehicles (AVs). The event, moderated by Metropolis‘s director of … Continued
In 1942, a secret city was born. Nestled in a valley in eastern Tennessee, the city-today known as Oak Ridge-would become the birthplace of the most dangerous weapon humanity ever created. But Oak Ridge isn’t just a glorified military base, built in the midst of World War II to prepare the U.S. to defend its … Continued
The 2018 ABB Leading European Architects Forum (LEAF) Awards panel has selected three SOM projects as finalists. 252 East 57th Street was selected as a finalist in the “Best Tall Building Project” category. Lexicon was selected in the “Residential Building—Multiple Occupancy” category, while Hangzhou Wangchao Center was named in the “Best Future Building—Under Construction and Drawing … Continued
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM) together with Zyscovich Architects have completed three new stations for Brightline, Florida’s new public transit rail service. The largest private infrastructure development in the U.S., Brightline focuses on revitalizing downtown Miami while connecting nearby cities. Its three stations (Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Miami) are all now in … Continued
[Excerpt translated from Spanish] “The objective of BBVA’s new workplace strategy was twofold, according to Kim Van Holsbeke, SOM Associate Director. First, the company wanted to work with SOM to support and promote its initiative to create a common culture among BBVA’s global facilities. The second objective was the implementation of physical strategies that resulted … Continued
SOM Urban Planning and Design Partner Douglas Voigt and Associate Director Arathi Gowda have collaborated with Jonathan Salk—co-author of A New Reality and son of the late Jonas Salk, inventor of the polio vaccine—on a session proposal for the 2019 South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference. Titled “A New Reality: Hope for a World in Crisis,” the session will explore the … Continued
The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) has named SOM Design Partner Scott Duncan the new chair of the organization’s Height and Data Committee. As chair, Duncan will lead the committee’s decision-making capacities, convene annual meetings, and oversee the diversification and growth of the group. The CTBUH Height and Data Committee was originally created to provide … Continued
Rising to a height of 413m, the AI Hamra Tower dominates the skyline of Kuwait City as the second tallest building in the Middle East region. The geometry expresses a remarkable visual dynamism which responds to its environmental context and the Client’s leasing strategy. The resultant twisted form demanded complex analysis to identify dominant load … Continued
The Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute (CRSI) has selected 350 Mission Street as an Honor Award Recipient in the 2018 CRSI Honors Design and Construction Awards program. Now in its 40th year, the program recognizes projects that reflect an innovative use of steel reinforced concrete. Submissions were evaluated on ways in which reinforced concrete has improved … Continued
On Wednesday, August 8th, SOM’s Chicago office, together with the Future Leaders Committee of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) and Related Midwest, will host a panel discussion on The 78. The project centers on the creation of a new neighborhood south of downtown Chicago. Key planners and designers involved in the … Continued