The world’s tallest twisting tower, and second tallest building overall, Shanghai Tower, was recently selected by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat as the 2016 winner of the “Best Tall Building Worldwide” award.
Shanghai Tower was selected from among 3 other towers that won a Best Tall Building award for their region (and from 132 entries overall). Shanghai Tower represented the Asia & Australasia region. The other three regional winners were VIA 57 West, from the Americas; The White Walls, from Europe; and The Cube, from the Middle East and Africa.
Mixing an innovative design scheme with traditional Shanghainese architectural elements impressed the jury. For example, the multi-story atria between the double-skin façade takes the concept of shikumen, a housing style that blends indoor and outdoor space, and uses it on a much larger scale.
Of Shanghai Tower and its atria and double-skin façade, jury member Antony Wood, Executive Director, CTBUH said in a press release, “It contains the world’s first truly ‘inhabitable’ double-skin façade on a skyscraper, which is not only remarkable for its intended greenery, but its incorporation into the tower’s overall ventilation strategy. The sacrifice of valuable floor area to realize this social amenity proves that the aspirations for Shanghai Tower went far beyond mere commercial gain.”
Shanghai Tower was designed by Gensler and completed construction in 2015.
For the full list of the 2016 CTBUH award winners, click here.
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