The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) has named Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects' Salesforce Tower in San Francisco the Best Tall Building Worldwide for 2019. A total of 20 other Category Winners were also awarded during the recent CTBUH Annual Awards event in Shenzhen, China.
The Salesforce Tower, which was also named Best Tall Building between 300-399 Meters (984-1,309 ft) and involved Kendall Heaton Associates, is the tallest building in San Francisco, the 12th tallest in the United States, and currently sits at number 80 in the world's tallest rankings.
The building's base connects to a nearby transit center, which is topped by a public park, and its glazed facade tapers as it rises to a height of 326 m (1,070 ft). Its interior, which is given over to office space, has 1.4 million sq ft (roughly 130,000 sq m) of floorspace, spread over 61 floors.
The Salesforce Tower received LEED Platinum (a green building standard) certification due to its energy efficiency. Each floor has integrated sunshades to reduce solar heat gain, while the glazed facade is also made from high-performance glass. Cooling is partly provided by energy-efficient heat exchangers and fresh air is introduced to the tower's interior by efficient ventilation systems. Additionally, water recycling systems are installed.
Of the 20 Category Winners, Kampung Admiralty, by WOHA, is a highlight. The project picked up both the Best Tall Mixed-Use Building and Urban Habitat: Single-Site Scale awards.
The impressive 61-m (200-ft)-tall greenery-covered building meets the needs of elderly Singaporeans with a medical center, community park, and residential apartments, all centered around a large plaza. Rainwater is collected for irrigation and WOHA focused on reducing the building's energy use with passive ventilation, natural lighting, and shading.
The Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF)-designed Ping An Finance Centre is another standout. The skyscraper was named the Best Tall Building 400 meters (1,312 ft) and above.
Located in Shenzhen, it's the 4th tallest skyscraper in the world and rises to a height of 599 m (1,965 ft). The skyscraper features a sculpted facade that's shaped to mitigate the effects of wind.
Head to the gallery to see more on the Best Tall Building Worldwide and the other Category Award winners of the 2019 CTBUH Annual Awards, including projects from high-profile firms like BIG and Zaha Hadid Architects.
Sources: CTBUH, Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects