Fronting a major traffic circle in Zhujiang New Town, the Agile Corporation Headquarters Tower stands at a significant gateway to Guangzhou’s emerging city center. The design of the elliptical high-rise responds to the site’s subtropical climate, making its environmental performance visible on the building’s skin. The high-performance curtain wall system is layered with horizontal metal … Continued
The 31-story Chicago Civic Center (also known as the Daley Center) houses over 120 court and hearing rooms, a law library, and office space inside an award-winning glass and steel structure. In collaboration with local firms C.F. Murphy + Associates and Loebl, Schlossman + Bennett, SOM designed flexible rooms that anticipated the need for future … Continued
The Shanghai Old Town Master Plan calls for the respectful revitalization of one of Shanghai’s most historic districts. Old Town is situated at the ancient center of the city, which was once surrounded by a defensive wall. SOM’s plan protects the historic character and intimate scale of the area’s streetscapes, buildings, and urban forms. Through … Continued
In 1978, SOM architect Myron Goldsmith and engineer T.Y. Lin designed a bridge to span the middle fork of California’s American River, literally turning the discipline of bridge-building on its side. Their bridge scheme for the Ruck-a-Chucky gorge was an elegant solution to a challenging topographic problem: a wide, deep river bordered by banks with … Continued
Alárò City helps strengthen Lagos’position as the economic and cultural hub for West Africa by creating a new mixed-use model community—a place for people to work, make, live, and learn. Located 60 kilometers east of Lagos, the 1,000-hectare site is part of the wider 16,000-hectare Lekki Free Trade Zone, which aims to become an international … Continued
Imagined as the new jewel of the Fort Bonifacio Business District, located southeast of Manila’s city center, ArthaLand Century Pacific Tower will serve as the benchmark for commercial development in the area. At 32 stories, the building provides 21 floors of office space, including two tall executive floors, a large public lobby, a public cafeteria, … Continued
A prominent location combined with innovative sculptural form gives the Arcapita Headquarters a significant presence in Bahrain Bay, a waterfront development planned by SOM and now under construction in Manama, the capital of Bahrain. The Arcapita Headquarters building is composed of a spacious rectilinear volume perched atop a sculptural plinth that resembles rolling waves. The … Continued
Catalinas Rio is the centerpiece of a large-scale revitalization effort in Buenos Aires. Set in an underutilized railyard along the Rio de la Plata, the building lies at the heart of the city’s Catalinas Norte II master plan, a 30,000-square-meter redevelopment that will move highways and train tracks away from the streets and reclaim the … Continued
Revitalizing a civic anchor The renovation and expansion of the Appleton Public Library reimagines a longstanding community landmark as a flexible, light-filled hub for learning, gathering, and exchange. Located in downtown Appleton, Wisconsin, the project renews the 1981 brutalist structure with contemporary spaces that improve environmental performance and reinforce the library’s role as a civic … Continued
Bringing Nashville back to the river Across the river from downtown Nashville, the Riverside will bring five million square feet of places to live, work, play, dine, and enjoy the riverfront, woven together by three new public parks spanning more than 25 acres. Guided by an equitable and inclusive process that has engaged groups across … Continued