Wangjing SOHO in Beijing has been named as the winner of the world renowned architecture prize for skyscrapers, the Emporis Skyscraper Award. The building complex was chosen by an international panel of experts from more than 300 skyscrapers of at least 100 meters in height and which were completed during the previous calendar year. The award, given by Emporis, is now into its fifteenth year.
The winning project, consisting of three unique skyscrapers with a height of 118 meters, 127 meters and 200 meters each, impressed the jury with its excellent energy efficiency and distinctive design. The soft and fluid forms were designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, making Wangjing SOHO an architectural landmark of the metropolis Beijing.
Wangjing SOHO in Beijing.
Milan’s second-placed Bosco Verticale (“vertical forest”), however, stands out through its “green” architecture, which marks a milestone in the field of sustainable construction. The facade and balconies of the two towers designed by Boeri Studio are covered with more than 700 trees and 90 different species of plants, which help to reduce smog and attenuate noise, while simultaneously producing oxygen and controlling the temperature inside the 105 meter and 78 meter tall towers.
The expert jury voted Tour D2 in Courbevoie, France into third place. Its elegant shape is defined by an external diagrid structure that spans the 171 meter tall oval tower in full height: The extravagant diamond design gives the skyscraper its characteristic appearance and makes the facade sparkle in the sunlight. On the roof, the steel mesh merges together to form an imposing dome above what is called the “Cloud Garden”, a 500m2 large green oasis in the heart of the business center.
Although often represented in the top ten, Wangjing SOHO’s success this year is the first time China has managed to take the crown since the Emporis Skyscraper Award was established in the year 2000.
Bosco Verticale in Milan. (Photo/Wikipedia Commons)
Surprisingly, there was not a single Canadian building among the winners this year, even with Toronto being one of the cities with the most new high-rise and skyscraper projects. Nevertheless, there was cause for celebration for North America: After the United States – the cradle of high-rise architecture – had been left empty handed two years in a row, this year two projects from New York made it into the top ten of the sought-after architecture prize.
When choosing the winners, height records hardly play any role. Hence, only three “supertalls” (skyscrapers with a height of at least 300m) made it to the top ten this year. Instead of following the principle of “Bigger, Higher, Faster”, the jury put its emphasis on other qualities: “The results of recent years clearly show that criteria such as sustainability, efficiency and a clever design play a much more important role than reaching new superlatives”, said Daniel Schuldt, Emporis’ managing director.
(Source: www.emporis.com)
