World's Four Best Tall Buildings Named

The four Best Tall Buildings in the world have been announced as part of The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat's 2015 CTBUH Annual Awards.

The winners were selected from a pool of 123 entries - an increase of nearly 40 per cent on entries from 2014.

The Best Tall Buildings have been named from each of four competing regions in the world, from nominees representing a total of 33 countries. The winners for 2015 are:

One World Trade Center, New York (Americas)

“One World Trade Center is of undeniable importance to the Americas as well as the World. The building had high design expectations which the jury felt were met and exceeded. The design for One World Trade Center pays homage to the original tower’s design with its similar form and height. In a contemporary way the tower evokes the slender, elegant, tapering form of other great New York City icons such as the Chrysler Building and Empire State Building. The design of the building adds a new landmark to New York City’s famous skyline.”

– 

James Parakh, O.A.A, City Planning Department, Toronto, Canada

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CapitaGreen, Singapore (Asia and Australasia)

“CapitaGreen indicates a new way forward for high-rise vegetated façades by placing them within the double skin. This offers the potential for solar shade and even agricultural output, as well as environmental and psychological benefits. The way CapitaGreen’s ‘living wall’ connects a series of indoor and outdoor communal gardens, culminating in the grand roof terrace, is also commendable.”

– 

Antony Wood, Executive Director, CTBUH, Chicago

Bosco Verticale, Milan (Europe)

“Bosco Verticale is truly groundbreaking as a living experiment exploring the viability of greenery at such heights. 13,000 individual plants, which form a ‘second skin’ for the tower, contribute to a vital urban ecosystem where different kinds of vegetation, as well as birds and insects, can thrive, bringing a bit of nature into the city.”

– 

Karl Fender, Founding Director, Fender Katsalidis Architects, Australia

Burj Mohammad bin Rashid, Abu Dhabi, (Middle East and Africa)

“The Burj adds a beautiful form to the Abu Dhabi skyline, which can be seen from quite a distance. The building incorporates thoughtful design elements to increase its energy efficiency, such as the solar collectors and the ventilated three-skin façade. I also appreciate the traditional marketplace integrated with the base of the structure.”

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Mun Summ Wong, CTBUH Awards Jury Chair, Founding Director, WOHA Architects, SingaporeAn overall winner for the Best Tall Building worldwide will be selected from these four regional winners, and announced at a dinner following the 

CTBUH 14th Annual Awards Symposium, to take place at the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, on November 12.