SOM’s City Design Practice has developed a comprehensive plan to revitalize Guangzhou’s Old Town as a priceless asset for the city. With a systematic and integrated approach balancing historic preservation, modern reinvestment, and community revitalization, the plan seeks to enrich the lives of Guangzhou residents and to maximize the potential of this area as a … Continued
Meeting a city’s changing needs The Lincoln Yards development is a major component of the North Branch Framework Plan, which aims to connect two of the city’s most vibrant neighborhoods – Lincoln Park and Bucktown – through a 55 acre-site along the Chicago River’s North Branch. The development is led by developer Sterling Bay, with … Continued
Distinctive design, shaped by the climate 707 Fifth – Manulife Place celebrates Calgary’s cosmopolitan atmosphere while efficiently addressing the demands of the Canadian prairie climate, characterized by cold and harsh winters tempered by warm Chinook winds and an above-average number of sunny days per year. These conditions informed the design of the tower, with a … Continued
An emblem of contemporary Shenzhen Shenzhen’s Houhai Downtown District has undergone tremendous growth, emerging as a hub for technology startups and corporations. The new headquarters for global telecommunications company Hytera is among the neighborhood’s most prominent recent developments. Facing two major municipal parks, the 43-story tower enhances the public realm with an elevated podium featuring … Continued
Celebrating 100 years of innovative student-centered learning, the Dalton School is reimagining itself for the 21st century. SOM has partnered with this premier, coeducational K-12 school to more deeply connect its physical spaces to the pedagogical foundation established by Helen Parkhurst in 1919. The project centers on a two-story rooftop expansion to the existing 12-story … Continued
Restoring a landmark Montgomery County’s neoclassical courthouse, originally built in 1856, is a landmark in the center of Norristown—a symbol of government in Pennsylvania’s third most populous county. The project, a comprehensive renovation and expansion, is restoring its historic features, modernizing its interiors, and making its copper dome the focal point of the Justice Center … Continued
Planning the skyscraper hotel’s next century The standards for American hospitality forever changed when the Waldorf Astoria opened its doors in 1931. Setting a record as the largest hotel in the world, the city’s new “unofficial palace” became an instant centerpiece of New York culture—welcoming celebrities, politicians, royalty, everyday tourists, and New Yorkers alike throughout … Continued
Flexibility for new modes of learning The Campus Instructional Facility (CIF) is a multi-story center for hands-on learning designed to meet the changing needs of engineering students and faculty at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Located at the northwest corner of the Bardeen Quadrangle along Springfield Avenue and Wright Street, this teaching hub enables collaboration … Continued
The School of Film and Television (SFTV) is one of the fastest growing departments at Loyola Marymount University-with an expanding student enrollment, new faculty and staff hires, and recently added degree and certificate programs. To accommodate this growth, the university acquired 50,000 square feet of off-campus space in the nearby Playa Vista neighborhood. This new … Continued
A new landmark in Mexico City Rising 135 meters, the Operations Center raises the bar for commercial development in Mexico’s capital and raises the profile of BBVA Bancomer in Latin America. SOM’s design accommodates the transformation of the company’s operational structure from a traditional, hierarchical model to a more horizontal, collaborative organization. Enhancing the public … Continued