China Wins Its First Emporis Skyscraper Award

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Wangjing SOHO, Beijing, China. (Credit: Zaha Hadid Architects)

For the first time in the Emporis Skyscraper Award’s 15-year history, a Chinese building has landed the contest’s top spot. Wangjing SOHO, Beijing, was chosen by an international panel of experts from more than 300 skyscrapers completed during 2014, each at least 328 feet tall.

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Bosco Verticale, Milan, Italy. (Credit: Boeri Studio)

Wangjing SOHO, consisting of three skyscrapers with a height of 387 feet, 416 feet, and 656 feet each, has become an architectural landmark in the city of Beijing. Judges were impressed with the project’s “excellent energy efficiency and its distinctive design, which gives the complex a harmonious and organic momentum.” The complex was designed by Zaha Hadid Architects.

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Tour D2, Courbevoie, France. (Credit: Agence d’Architecture Anthony Béchu)

The second-place winner Bosco Verticale (“vertical forest”), located in Milan, Italy, 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 345-foot and 256-foot tall towers.

In third place, Tour D2 in Courbevoie, France features an elegant shape defined by an external diagrid structure that spans the 561-foot 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 1640-square-foot large green oasis in the heart of the business center.

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One World Trade Center, NYC. (Skidmore, Owings & Merrill /Photo © James Ewing | OTTO)

Emporis Top Five Skyscrapers, 2014

  1. Wangjing SOHO
    Location: Beijing, China
    Architect: Zaha Hadid Architects

  2. Bosco Verticale
    Location: Milan, Italy
    Architect: Boeri Studio

  3. Tour D2
    Location: Courbevoie, France
    Architect: Agence d’Architecture Anthony Béchu

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    The Leadenhall Building, London. (Credit: Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners)
  4. One World Trade Center
    Location: New York City, U.S.
    Architect: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (New York)

  5. The Leadenhall Building
    Location: London, U.K.
    Architect: Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners