Pictured above is Jiangxi Nanchang Greenland Ziefeng Tower, designed by SOM

Established in April 2015, the CITAB-CTBUH China Tall Building Awards awards recognise projects and people that have made significant contributions to China’s urban landscape, while paying tribute to those projects that achieve sustainability “at the broadest and highest level”. They are a joint initiative between the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), which looks at the “planning, design, construction and operation of tall buildings”, and the China International Exchange Committee for Tall Buildings (CITAB). The China awards include Best Tall Building, Outstanding Achievement, Construction and Urban Habitat.

Bund SOHO was the overall winner of the 2016, with architecture by gmp Architekten. Meanwhile Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM) received the China Tall Building Legacy Award for its work on the 88-storey Jin Mao Tower in Pudong, Shanghai. The tower stands at 420.5 metres tall, including the tip, making it the third tallest building in Shanghai and the 18th tallest in world. It’s home to Grand Hyatt Shanghai, along with offices and convention space.

Jin Mao Tower at dusk

SOM’s design for Jin Mao Tower is distinctive, remaining an icon in Shanghai thanks to its pagoda-like form, which features “setbacks that create a rhythmic pattern”.

Five other buildings SOM worked on received Honorable Distinctions in the China Construction Award, Best Tall Building and China Innovation categories. These buildings were Beijing’s Greenland Center, Jiangxi Nanchang Greenland Central Plaza, Jiangxi Nanchang Greenland Ziefeng Tower and Zhengzhou Greenland Plaza.

Jiangxi Nanchang Greenland Central Plaza

The China Tall Building Awards Dinner & Ceremony was held at Shanghai Tower on 13 May 2016.

CITAB-CTBUH China Tall Building Awards
china-tall-building-awards.com

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
som.com