The winner of the tenth annual Emporis Award for the Best New Skyscraper of the Year is Aqua, an 81-story hotel and residential building in Chicago's Lakeshore East development. The winning building was chosen from a worldwide pool of 305 eligible skyscrapers (buildings at least 100 meters tall) which were completed in 2009. Aqua was designed by Studio Gang Architects in Chicago and developed by Magellan Development Group, who will be receiving the award. The building was constructed by the James McHugh Construction Company, also of Chicago.
The Silver Award for second place goes to 0-14 in Dubai, a 23-story, 102 meter tower named for the numeric designation of its lot, a lagoonside parcel in the massive Business Bay development. Designed by Reiser + Umemoto RUR Architecture P.C. of New York City and developed by Dubai Properties, 0-14 features an outer shell with round holes of varying sizes, often compared to swiss cheese, which protects the interior from the harsh sun of the Arabian desert. The jury praised its stylish and futuristic sculptural form as well as its unique adaptation to the extreme climate of Dubai.
The Bronze Award goes to The Met, a 69-story, 228 meter residential building in Bangkok which is formed by six towers linked at several points by two-story bridges. The Met was designed by WOHA Architects Pte., Ltd. of Singapore, who extended in this building the climate-specific environmental features used in their Newton Suites project, winner of the 2007 Silver Award from Emporis. The building features skygardens and pools on its many terraces, and its voids, sunshades, and extensive plant cover create a cool, breezy living environment in a hot and congested city. The developer of The Met is HPL Properties Private Limited.
Emporis Skyscraper Award 2009
Aqua wins Emporis Skyscraper Award
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Winning Design
The Emporis Award Jury chose Aqua as the best skyscraper of 2009 for its advances in sustainable design and for the imaginative and fascinating architectural effects it achieves. With the dramatic flair evoked by a theater curtain, the rippling facade of Aqua has caught the attention of thousands of people looking into the skyline from Grant Park or the Chicago River. Seen from afar, the building appears to be a standard, though well proportioned, rectangle. A little bit closer, the wavy folds formed by the undulating balconies arouse curiosity and invite inspection. Planes of smooth glass between the balconies catch sunlight and resemble calm watery surfaces. As the tower starts to loom overhead, it changes shape; straight lines disappear, and a mass of rounded layers stack up vertiginously like a limestone palisade molded by centuries of flowing water.
Aqua enjoys a prime location, with Michigan Avenue, Lake Michigan, the Chicago River, and Millennium Park each two or three blocks away. However, for such a tall building (250 meters/819 feet above the elevated street level) it is surprisingly hidden, surrounded by a cluster of major skyscrapers. Its deep balconies are an important adaptation to this setting, as they give residents a wider view. The cantilevered slabs also reduce energy needs by shielding windows from the high summer sun without blocking light in the winter.
Several other green features in Aqua set an example for environmental sustainability. A light-colored coating on the exterior concrete reduces the heat-island effect caused by large buildings, and special glass is used throughout the structure to optimize energy efficiency and prevent bird strikes. The amount of concrete needed for the nearly 2 million square foot (185,000 m²) structure was minimized by post-tensioning. The tower sits on a broad podium with a vegetated roof, and the apartments' lighting and ventilation systems achieve double the required efficiency. With a forecast LEED Silver rating, Aqua sets a higher standard for the next generation of large-scale residential and hotel construction.