Earlier this week, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH)—an international organization focused on the design of soaring structures—announced the winners for the CTBUH 2016 Tall Building Awards. Now, in its 15th year of competition, a panel of experts judged some 132 submissions vying for recognition. With each project, the group was looking for buildings that, according to a statement, “have the greatest positive impact on the individuals who use these buildings and the cities they inhabit.” Specifically, the panel was focused on those structures that brought about innovative solutions that responded to demanding site constraints, while also considering important issues such as sustainability, seismic activity, wind forces, and mixed functionality. The winning recipients, which included such renowned architects as Bjarke Ingels and Jean Nouvel , have been recognized across five categories: Best Tall Building Awards—Regional (Americas, Asia & Australasia, Europe, and Middle East & Africa), Urban Habitat Award, Innovation Award, Performance Award, and 10 Year Award. AD surveys the winners below.
Via 57 West , New York, New York (the white perimeter structure located near the center of the photo). Designed by Bjarke Ingels. Winner of the 2016 Best Tall Building Americas.
Shanghai Tower , Shanghai, China (twisting structure on the right). Designed by Marshall Strabala and Jun Xia. Winner of the 2016 Best Tall Building Asia & Australasia.
The Hearst Tower in New York, New York. Designed by Norman Foster. Winner of the 2016 10 Year Award.
The White Walls , Nicosia, Cyprus. Designed by Jean Nouvel. Winner of the 2016 Best Tall Building Europe.
The Cube , Beirut, Lebanon. Designed by three Dutch architecture firms, JSA, Cimka and HofmanDujardin. Winner of 2016 Best Tall Building Middle East & Africa.
Pin-Fuse , a design that can be used in buildings to help lessen the effects of seismic activity on a build, was the winner of the 2016 Innovation Award.
Taipei 101 , Taipei, Taiwan. Designed by C. Y. Lee. Winner of the 2016 Performance Award.
Wuhan Tiandi , Wuhan, China (a complex that includes the skyscrapers to the right, and the smaller buildings to their immediate left). Designed by Los Angeles–based firm 5+design. Winner of the 2016 Urban Habitat Award.
