A former fire station in Beverly was redesigned into a sharp, stylish factory and headquarters for bespoke hatmaker, Optimo. After 25 years, Optimo’s owner Graham Thompson, needed to expand and recruited architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill to create a new space in a 100-year-old decommissioned firehouse at 1700 W. 95th Street. The 7,700-square-foot, two-story building houses a … Continued
SOM Design Associate Paolo Rossi has been named to the jury of the 2018 ABB Leading European Architects Forum (LEAF) Awards. The awards ceremony will take place on Thursday, October 18th, in Frankfurt, Germany. Rossi and a panel of 15 other jurors will review submissions from around the world and select winners in 14 different … Continued
Since its founding more than 25 years ago, Optimo Hat Company has developed a cult following as a leading maker of handcrafted hats for diverse and global clientele. Optimo’s new headquarters consolidates its design, operations, and production spaces inside a 100-year-old decommissioned firehouse located in Beverly, a historic neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side. To create … Continued
Forty years ago, the Dubai World Trade Center was approaching completion. At 489 feet and 39 stories, it barely registers on the city skyline today, dwarfed by steel and glass behemoths south along the Sheikh Zayed Road. But back in 1978 it was a statement of intent; the first skyscraper in Dubai and a premonition … Continued
The Structural Engineers Association of Northern California (SEAONC) has named 111 Main, an office tower designed by SOM, as the winner of a 2018 Award of Excellence in Structural Engineering. The project won in the New Construction category. Designed to anchor a larger urban redevelopment in downtown Salt Lake City, 111 Main features an innovative … Continued
Chicago, IL: Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar has named the Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM)-designed building for The Republic in Columbus, Ind., as a National Historic Landmark. “The Republic is an exceptional work of modern architecture and one of the best examples of the work of Myron Goldsmith, a general partner in the … Continued
Princeton University announced today it has selected SOM and James Corner Field Operations to collaborate on a master plan for the proposed Lake Campus. The project will create an innovative, vibrant mixed-use community south of Lake Carnegie, and will become an integrated extension of Princeton’s current campus. The entire Lake Campus Master Plan is expected to be completed … Continued
On Thursday, May 3rd, SOM Associate Director Aaron May will join a panel discussion at the 2018 Spring Meeting of the Urban Land Institute. Titled “Detroit’s Riverfront as Economic Development Driver,” the discussion centers on the evolving role of the riverfront in terms of its history, its current growth, and its relation to the city’s broader economic development goals. ? May will … Continued
Four SOM leaders will speak at this year’s 2018 Society for College and University Planning (SCUP) Pacific Regional Conference. The conference brings together university leaders, architects, and planners for workshops and educational sessions on higher education planning. This year’s conference will be held at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) from April 8th to … Continued
On Wednesday, April 4th, SOM Design Director Eric Keune will speak at Ciao Chicago’s Italian Design Night, an event hosted in conjunction with the Chicago chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA Chicago)?. Titled “Architecture + Oenology: Parallel Trajectories,” the discussion centers on the intersection of winemaking and architectural design. Joining Keune will be Rachael Lowe, Beverage Director and Sommelier at … Continued