A model for resilient, sustainable urbanism For nearly 200 years, the wharves in Sydney Harbor served as the gateway to Australia. As Sydney grows as a global city with ambitious plans to combat climate change, the Barangaroo district—a formerly industrial waterfront zone—is in the midst of a dramatic transformation. Following an international search in 2012, … Continued
SOM has created a bold new vision for Treasure Island, a 393-acre manmade island in the heart of the San Francisco Bay. Upon completion, the area will boast a diverse community with access to unprecedented open space, resource-conserving technologies, and a robust network of transportation options. SOM’s vision drew fundamentally from sustainable principles and the … Continued
Creating a new landmark district Strategically positioned between central Beijing and the Capital International Airport, this proposed high-density, mixed-use district would become a new global gateway for China’s capital city. The plan, to be built in phases, calls for landmark offices and residential towers, cultural venues, and open space, and a new bridge linking to … Continued
This 26-story office tower in San Francisco’s South of Market district responds to the modest scale and local characteristics of its neighborhood. The building achieves a slender profile by breaking the overall mass into a series of vertical volumes, each with discrete functional and structural roles. Vertical circulation and building services are housed in the … Continued
This 42-story apartment building introduced the “framed tube” structural concept, a revolutionary SOM-developed approach that still informs the design of many tall buildings. The tower contains 407 apartments including efficiency, one-, two-, and three-bedroom units. Its exterior is clad in travertine marble and has anodized aluminum window frames with tinted glass. Closely spaced columns of … Continued
Mixed-use goes vertical 875 North Michigan Avenue, formerly known as John Hancock Center, the world’s first mixed-use tower, is an architectural icon representing the close collaboration between architect Bruce Graham and structural engineer Fazlur Khan. The building remains an archetype for the collaborative ideal that continues to make SOM a leader in a wide spectrum … Continued
The soaring China World Trade Center is one of the tallest structures in Beijing and is a centerpiece of the Central Business District. Embodying quiet, purposeful elegance, the mixed-use skyscraper stands in refreshing contrast to the jumble of new buildings in the fast-growing area. The tower’s robust base is folded seamlessly into the existing urban … Continued
The making of a New York icon In 1971, the Solow Development Corporation tasked SOM with designing an office tower that defied all conventions of a skyscraper. The building had to maximize interior capacity, attract pedestrian attention, and satisfy New York City zoning rules, which mandated that sufficient space remain between buildings to allow sunlight … Continued
Jiangxi Nanchang Greenland Central Plaza, Parcel A is a complex of mixed-use buildings that anchor a zone of new development in Nanchang, the capital of the Chinese province Jiangxi. The project encompasses four volumes: a pair of low-rise structures housing retail and conference functions accompanied by a pair of identical 303-meter-tall office towers. Completed in … Continued
Located in Singapore’s central business district, this 25-story speculative office tower enjoys a prominent location and excellent views. The building’s glass curtain wall is sheathed in a distinctive skin of extruded aluminum rods that provide shade and reduce glare. This skin also covers the parking garage and mechanical floors, enabling the building to have a … Continued