SOM names winner of One World Trade Center photo contest

A striking image of One World Trade Center captured at sunset by photographer Gerry Padden is the winner of a public photo contest hosted by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM). Based in New York City, Padden typically photographs urban sites and is "always aiming to capture a special moment that is naturally occurring." His winning image was taken in July from a rooftop in Dumbo, Brooklyn.

SOM held the #WelcomeOneWTC photo contest from November 3 to December 3, 2014, to mark the official opening of One World Trade Center. As the designers of the tower, the firm encouraged both amateur and professional photographers to participate in this historic moment for New York City by submitting their personal images of the skyscraper. Approximately 350 entries were received through Instagram and email.

As the contest winner, Padden will receive a one-of-a-kind scale model of the tower, handcrafted by the firm's model shop in Manhattan, as well as a limited-edition print of One World Trade Center, taken by renowned photographer James Ewing.

The contest jury consisted of key leaders from SOM who worked on the tower: T.J. Gottesdiener, SOM Managing Partner; Kenneth A. Lewis, SOM Managing Partner; Nicole Dosso, SOM Director; and Frank Mahan, SOM Associate Director. In addition, Elizabeth Kubany, PR Consultant for SOM's New York office, and photographer James Ewing served as judges.

One World Trade Center has long captured the imagination of locals and visitors alike, who have watched the building materialize from drawings to a 104-story, crystalline skyscraper that stands boldly in Lower Manhattan. More than 13 years in the making, the 1,776-foot office tower—the tallest in the Western Hemisphere—recaptures the New York skyline, reasserts downtown Manhattan's preeminence as a global business center, and establishes a new civic icon for the country.

SOM will showcase additional entries from the #WelcomeOneWTC photo contest in the coming weeks.