SOM Headlines 2012 CTBUH World Congress

Chicago, IL: SOM leadership converged in Shanghai for the Council on Tall Building and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) 9th World Congress. The event, entitled “Asia Ascending: The Age of the Sustainable Skyscraper City”, occurred September 19-21 at the SOM-designed Jin Mao Tower. Completed in 1999, Jin Mao was one of the firm’s earliest works in China. … Continued

AIA Indiana and SOM to Celebrate Columbus City Hall

To mark the new Indiana University Center for Art and Design (IUCA+D) exhibit “The Columbus City Hall: Center for Civic Inspiration,” SOM Design Partner Brian Lee will appear in Columbus, Indiana, on June 11, 2015. The evening starts at IUCA+D at 5:00 pm and culminates in Lee’s hour-long presentation at the municipal building itself. There, … Continued

In Chicago, New Chinatown Library Breaks the Mold

Library design by cookie cutter has been Chicago’s architectural norm for so long now that it was a shock last month when Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced something different: Plans for a new Chinatown branch that would — stop the presses! — be tailored to its site. The promising proposal, by Brian Lee of SOM, calls … Continued

The Christ Hospital Joint and Spine Center Opens in Cincinnati

Cincinnati, Ohio: The Christ Hospital—a health care leader in the Cincinnati region—sought to unify their main campus and forge a model for integrated, patient-centered joint and spine care. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM) worked with patients, medical professionals, and hospital staff to design the new Joint and Spine Center and to develop a cohesive master … Continued

2016 Heralds Beginning of the Megatall Skyscraper Era

The number of skyscrapers over 600 metres high – known as “megatalls” – is set to more than double in the next few years, say experts. Skyscraper authority the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) has revealed that the number of 600-metre-plus buildings in the world is set to rise from three to seven in the next five years. … Continued

SOM Creates a Rounded Library Wrapped in Aluminium Fins for Chicago’s Chinatown

Architecture firm SOM incorporated principles from Feng Shui, the ancient Chinese design philosophy, while conceiving the new Chinatown Branch Library in Chicago. Encompassing 16,000 square feet (1,490 square metres), the new library is located in Chicago’s Near South Side, on an urban site near a busy intersection and elevated metro station…”The Chinatown Branch recognises the … Continued

This 3-D-Printed House Gets All The Power It Needs From A Car

When it needs extra power, this new experimental building can start pulling energy from the car parked in front. And if the solar panels on the roof start pumping out more energy than needed, the building sends it to the car. Brian Lee, design partner at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, which partnered with Oak Ridge … Continued

Between Two Chinatowns

Because of the new library’s location on the triangular block that bisects the new and old Chinatowns, the design does not follow the typical cookie-cutter prototype used by most Chicago public libraries. It is being custom-designed and built by Brian Lee of Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill LLP. The rounded shape of the building was chosen … Continued

Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony Opens The Chinatown Branch of the Chicago Public Library

On Saturday August 29th, the Chicago Public Library, in conjunction with the Public Building Commission of Chicago (PBC), celebrated the opening of the new Chinatown Branch, designed by SOM and Wight & Company. Located on Chicago’s near South Side, the library serves as a new civic, educational, and social hub for Chicago’s Chinatown neighborhood. The … Continued

Brian Lee Shares Design Philosophy at TEDxFARGO

SOM Design Partner Brian Lee will share his design philosophy with interested citizens and other notable visionaries who are using their talents to inspire global change. TEDxFARGO: Our Community. Our People. June 21, 20123:00 p.m. ecce: art + yoga216 N. BroadwayFargo, North Dakota 58102