Design informed by nature The headquarters for Shenzhen Rural Commercial Bank, a 158-meter-tall, 33-story tower located on the edge of a public park in one of Shenzhen’s key business districts, responds to the region’s tropical climate through a series of biophilic and sustainable design solutions. The design inspiration is drawn from natural systems and elements … Continued
A contemporary addition to a landmark campus In the 1950s, SOM famously master-planned a rigorously modern campus for the U.S. Air Force Academy on a site abutting the Rocky Mountains. Five decades later, SOM revisited the campus—now a National Historic Landmark District—to design a home for the newly created Center for Character & Leadership Development … Continued
Since its completion, the award-winning Virginia Beach Convention Center has become the centerpiece of a 40-year master plan to green Virginia Beach and reinvigorate the classic resort town. A soaring 147-foot glass and steel tower pays homage to the city’s historic lighthouse, while lightweight trusses support a curving glass curtain wall. The lobby features a … Continued
Seoul Light Digital Media City Tower in Seoul, Korea, combines technology and sustainability strategies to create a new model of supertall building design. A large, central atrium spans vertically through the hotel, residential, and observation deck areas to allow for penetration of natural light and air throughout the building. Air rises through the atrium in … Continued
Picasso’s first monumental sculpture in America — known simply as the Chicago Picasso — designates the plaza in front of the Chicago Civic Center as a public gathering space. The sculpture stands 50 feet tall on a base of granite, and is constructed of the same Cor-Ten steel as the building behind it. In the … Continued
SOM led a multidisciplinary team for the design of Godrej Garden City, a massive mixed-use development. Situated on 105 hectares of land about three kilometers outside of the historic center of Ahmedabad, the plan called for residential, commercial, retail, and institutional space totaling 2.4 million square meters. The project was particularly designed to engage India’s … Continued
Just steps from Columbus Circle and Central Park, this elegant new tower sits on a prominent one-acre site. Changing sky conditions and the surrounding Manhattan context interact with the building’s skin, resulting in an ever-shifting visual phenomenon. SOM clad the tower in semi-reflective, low-iron vision glass and vertical fins, which together add visual depth to … Continued
The Emergency Department and Intensive Care Unit (EDICU) is the second phase of the SOM-designed master plan for the Cleveland Clinic campus in Weston, Florida. Following the 2014 completion of the Cleveland Clinic Florida Neurological and Cancer Institutes (NICI), also designed by SOM, the EDICU gathers two vital services into a single building to provide … Continued
Under one roof John Jay College of Criminal Justice’s new building provides all the functions of a traditional college campus within a single city block. The 625,000-square-foot building doubles the size of John Jay’s existing facilities by adding classrooms, laboratories, auditoriums, faculty offices, and student lounges. The new building addresses the College’s need for instructional … Continued
Situated on a private island, the Four Seasons Hotel transforms the skyline of Manama, Bahrain’s capital city. The 48-story structure offers 273 guest rooms and a penthouse-level “Skypod” restaurant, which has unparalleled views of the Arabian Gulf. The hotel also houses a high-tech business center and versatile meeting and events facilities, including a multi-use ballroom … Continued