Silvery supertall Lotte World Tower named world's best new skyscraper

Seoul, South Korea's Lotte World Tower, by Kohn Pedersen Fox, has been declared the world's best new skyscraper by information specialist Emporis during its annual Skyscraper Awards. The stunning supertall is defined by its unusual silver appearance and boasts several notable features, including the world's fastest elevator and the world's highest glass-bottomed observation deck.

The Lotte World Tower rises to a height of 555 m (1,820 ft)-tall, which makes it the world's fifth-tallest skyscraper. Its design is inspired by the traditional Korean arts of ceramics, porcelain and calligraphy.

Inside, a total floorspace of 505,300 sq m (roughly 5.5 million sq ft) is spread over 123 floors, which host a hotel, retail space, office space and "officetels," studio apartment-type accommodation for those who work elsewhere in the building. The glass-bottomed observation deck is located at a height of 497.6 m (1,633 ft) and is reached by what's rated the world's fastest elevator. It's a fantastic project and a worthy winner.

"The design combines modern elements with classical forms from Korea's art and cultural history, making Lotte World Tower a particularly harmonious skyscraper," says Emporis' jury.

Second place went to Zaha Hadid Architects' Generali Tower (shown below). Located in Milan, Italy, the skyscraper has an eye-catching twisting form and reaches a height of 170 m (557 ft)-tall.

The building is rated LEED Platinum (a green building standard) and sports a double skin facade and a smart sunscreen with sun-deflecting louvers. It's kept cool with natural ventilation and natural light is also used to reduce artificial lighting needs.

Third place went to 150 North Riverside, by Goettsch Partners (shown below). The Chicago building is 752 ft (229 m)-tall and is located on a very awkward plot squeezed between a river and train tracks that was previously deemed too narrow to build on, according to Emporis.

In a clever bit of engineering, Goettsch Partners designed the building to have a very small footprint which grows outward as it rises.

Hit the gallery to check out the remaining seven runners-up for the 2018 Emporis Skyscraper Award, including an even taller skyscraper by Kohn Pedersen Fox, the Ping An Finance Centre, the curvy Raffles City Hangzhou by UN Studio.

Source: Emporis