The Kunming Junfa Dongfeng Square project showcases site-specific MEP solutions that integrate SOM’s architectural, structural, and sustainable design services. Located in the highly seismic Yunnan province in southwest China, this 456-meter tower requires a robust structural system. To increase resilience, mega-columns in each corner must be separated, creating a void. SOM’s early interdisciplinary collaboration enabled … Continued
SOM Graphics designed a 36-inch modular carpet collection with powerful three-dimensional designs that visually sculpt the floor and create different architectural perspectives in macro versus micro applications. To shape the imagery, the multidisciplinary team drew inspiration from urban skylines, aerial views of airports, bridges and cities, and geological formations such as glaciers, bedrock, and lakes. … Continued
SOM has been active within the Broadgate business district for three decades, designing several key projects there. The office building, 10 Exchange Square, creates a new, western gateway to the entire complex. Through its design, SOM fulfilled an important urban mission of clarifying and enhancing pedestrian connections between Broadgate and the surrounding neighborhood. The elegant, … Continued
The Ben Gurion Airport dates to the 1930s, but even with expansions and renovations over the years, the facility was showing its age by the 1990s. With travel to Israel rapidly increasing, the airport authority set out to build a world-class terminal with a capacity of 16 million passengers a year. SOM designed landside and … Continued
Chicago has a long history of making and implementing plans to guide growth and development far into the future. The Central Area Plan, created by SOM in collaboration with a committee of business and civic leaders, draws on those deep roots and builds on a vision of Chicago as a global city. The scheme focuses … Continued
Anticipating growth in the departments of sciences, social sciences, and humanities, Harvard University hired SOM to create a comprehensive framework that would guide development on its north campus. Harvard wanted a plan that could be implemented incrementally over a period of years, yet allowed for a quick response to unpredicted needs. SOM’s design continues the … Continued
SOM’s master plan for University Island in Guangzhou uses the development patterns of four ancient farm villages to humanize a recent wave of rapid development. Ten disconnected campuses sprung up on the island in just seven years, with the student population swelling to more than 400,000. The island offers few amenities or natural escapes, with … Continued
As its population increases, Ho Chi Minh City has seen high-density development in its urban core threaten the preservation of historic neighborhoods. This master plan steers development south of the city, where substantial new growth can be accommodated cost-effectively with close proximity to public transit and existing centers of business. The 2,630-hectare Saigon South plan … Continued
Tapering as it rises to a height of 137 meters, the Curve Tower will be a striking new landmark for greater Manila and beacon of the growing Fort Bonifacio business district. The 32-story tower demands attention for its bold expression, in which taut and textured curtain walls unify streetfront retail, five levels of above-grade parking, … Continued
When the Oakland Museum of California began a significant renovation of its landmark 1969 building, it also took the opportunity to update its identity. The SOM Graphic Design Studio created the institution’s environmental graphics program and developed a new graphic identity. The design incorporates details and finishes of the new architecture while remaining sensitive to … Continued