The desire to take advantage of the spectacular views of Jeddah and the Red Sea led to the design of this distinctive high-rise structure for the National Commercial Bank headquarters. Set in a 1.2-hectare plaza on the edge of the sea, the 27-story triangular bank is flanked by a helical parking garage. Instead of individual … Continued
Located in a low-rise residential and industrial neighborhood in Corona, Queens, this pre-kindergarten through fifth grade school conveys a welcoming presence within a densely populated community. The stepped building mass is composed of three interconnected pavilions surrounding a garden courtyard that serves as the heart of the 1,100-student school. A six-story volume containing classrooms is … Continued
Muqarnas Tower will be located in the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD), a new development in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Totaling more than three million square meters, the district will include commercial, residential, retail, institutional, and cultural components. The design of this 70,000-square-meter office tower honors the parameters established by the master plan to create a … Continued
Across China, rapid urbanization is radically diminishing agricultural landscapes. SOM’s Nanhu New Country Village Master Plan furthers the nation’s farm-reform goals, bringing a modern approach to integrating agriculture and urban development into a village setting. The award-winning design consolidates and reorganizes farms so that the new village can increase in density without putting additional stress … Continued
A transit hub for the 21st century The focal point of the reimagined Denver Union Station is a new open-air train hall, which sits directly behind the historic Beaux-Arts-style station building. The train hall’s iconic, swooping structure adopts the station’s axis of symmetry while creating a dynamic contrast between the old and the new. A … Continued
A new anchor for Chicago’s South Side Developers and community leaders have long discussed what to do with the vacant South Works steel mill site along Lake Michigan in South Chicago. Once the largest producer of structural steel in the world, the 600-acre site has remained a vacant brownfield for nearly 30 years. Working with … Continued
Situated on a private island, the Four Seasons Hotel transforms the skyline of Manama, Bahrain’s capital city. The 48-story structure offers 273 guest rooms and a penthouse-level “Skypod” restaurant, which has unparalleled views of the Arabian Gulf. The hotel also houses a high-tech business center and versatile meeting and events facilities, including a multi-use ballroom … Continued
A modern center for world-class healthcare A curved glass facade gives this women’s hospital a generous and expansive appearance, and its syncopated composition of vertical elements reflects the diverse functions housed within. The facility consolidates women’s services—providing healthcare to expectant mothers through the creation of spaces for diagnostic and treatment services, labor and delivery, ante- … Continued
Under one roof John Jay College of Criminal Justice’s new building provides all the functions of a traditional college campus within a single city block. The 625,000-square-foot building doubles the size of John Jay’s existing facilities by adding classrooms, laboratories, auditoriums, faculty offices, and student lounges. The new building addresses the College’s need for instructional … Continued
This award-winning renovation gave renewed life to a four-story, Beaux-Arts courthouse built in 1905. Comprehensive architectural, structural, and interior design services were provided to repair earthquake damage and to broadly enhance the building’s program and appearance. In the aftermath of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, the General Services Administration asked SOM to revitalize and seismically … Continued