Navigating complexity Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport’s second terminal is one of the most complex transportation projects SOM has undertaken. While the simple task was to expand Mumbai’s overcrowding airport, the larger challenge was multifarious. SOM had to triple the airport’s capacity on a site surrounded by informal settlements, an overflowing river, and immovable historical monuments … Continued
A welcoming presence 350 Mission is a multi-tenant office tower that challenges conventions through its high-performance environmental design, workplace infrastructure and engagement of the public realm at street level. The architecture offers an exceptional contribution to city life by replacing the traditional corporate lobby with a 50-foot-high public “urban living room” that occupies the entire … 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
Upgrading a historic studio lot When Radford Studio Center first opened its doors as Mack Sennett Studios in 1928, it was a cutting-edge facility and one of the first studios in San Fernando Valley. Over the decades, it has been home to many iconic motion pictures and television shows, including “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” … Continued
A dynamic mix 252 East 57th Street is a 65-story luxury mixed-use tower in Midtown Manhattan that rests atop two public schools and commercial retail. The project—the result of a public-private partnership with the Educational Construction Fund and the World Wide Group with Rose Associates—organizes its residential program with rental units on the lower floors … Continued
A vast metropolis steeped in history, Shanghai has become a key hub for technological research and advancements. The Yangpu District in the northeastern part of the city is playing a significant role in this evolution. With 17 universities and countless start-up ventures, the district possesses the same kind of energy as other intensely collaborative and … Continued
Expanding the Naval Academy’s curriculum Built almost 50 years since the United States Naval Academy (USNA) last erected a building on its historic campus in Annapolis, Maryland, Hopper Hall transforms the academic experience for midshipmen with a building designed specifically for cyber studies. Named for Rear Admiral Grace Hopper, a pioneer in computer science, it … Continued
Renewing a waterfront heritage district Adjacent to the new Baietan Central Business District—part of a larger SOM-designed master plan—Julong Bay has a long history as a center for agriculture and industry. The area was known for its flower nurseries dating back to the ninth century, and later became a shipping and manufacturing zone along the … Continued
The workplace is changing: from ambitious start-ups to well-established corporations, offices are evolving from traditional enclosed layouts to support a more “open” culture. Loyola Marymount University (LMU) understood this shift and sought to adapt their workplace while accommodating the growth of two of the University’s most vital administrative departments—University Advancement, which coordinates the school’s fundraising … Continued
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