Top new skyscrapers for 2019: Salesforce Tower named best worldwide

Fifteen skyscraper projects were honored this week with design and innovation awards from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) at the group's 2019 Tall + Urban Innovation Conference in Shenzhen, China. This is the 17th year CTBUH has formally recognized the world's top new tall buildings.

The 1,070-foot Salesforce Tower in San Francisco beat out dozens of skyscrapers from across the globe to take the top honor: Best Tall Building Worldwide for 2019.

Awards Jury Chair Karl Fender, Founding Partner of Fender Katsalidis Architects, described Salesforce Tower as a “building that gives back,” with a multipronged focus on occupant health, sustainability, structural efficiency, and a significant level of integration with the surrounding urban habitat.

More jury comments on Salesforce Tower:
"Standing as the tallest building in San Francisco, this tower pushes new limits in both its performance as a leading-edge office tower and its robust seismic design, while establishing significant connections to the surrounding urban habitat."

"The building stands as the centerpiece of a new transit-oriented, mixed-use neighborhood recently freed up for development following the demolition of an aging transit center. The result is not just a contribution to the city skyline, but a highly successful exercise in human-centric and resilient design for tall buildings."

The other Best Tall Building category winners are:

Best Tall Building Awards, Under 100 Meters: Forma Itaim, São Paulo

© Kelson Kon courtesy CTHUH

Jury comments: A response to growing residential demand of a prosperous upper middle class in São Paulo, Forma Itaim stands out with its variety of façade treatments, featuring a vibrant color-coated terra cotta cladding and a perforated aluminum double-skin.

Best Tall Building Awards, 100–199 Meters: Amorepacific Headquarters, Seoul

© Namsun Lee, courtesy CTBUH

Jury comments: By elevating the external layer of the façade, the entrance level opens up to the city and draws the public into a generous atrium. A rich mixture of public amenities–from art museum to auditorium, library and restaurants–connect this headquarters tower to its urban context.

Best Tall Building Awards, 200–299 Meters: Shenzhen Energy Headquarters, Shenzhen

© Chao Zhang, courtesy CTBUH

Jury comments: Enclosed in a finely attuned skin for its subtropical climate, the façade oscillates between transparency and opacity, reducing solar gain for occupant comfort and efficiency. The north and south towers are linked by an eight-story podium housing the main lobbies, commercial areas, conference centers and a cafeteria.

Best Tall Building Awards, 300–399 Meters: Salesforce Tower, San Francisco

© Jason O'Rear, courtesy CTBUH

Jury comments: Standing as the tallest building in San Francisco, this tower pushes new limits in both its performance as a leading-edge office tower and its robust seismic design, while establishing significant connections to the surrounding urban habitat.

Best Tall Building Awards, 400 Meters and Above: Ping An Finance Center, Shenzhen

© Tim Griffith, courtesy CTBUH

Jury comments: Located in Shenzhen’s new central business district, the Ping An Finance Center is the city’s tallest building. With more than 100 floors of office space and a large podium with retail and conference space, the project also connects to neighboring commercial and residential properties and public transportation.

Best Tall Building Awards, Office Building: European Patent Office, Rijswijk

Jury comments: This project represents the European Patent Office’s largest single investment in its 40-year history in the Netherlands. Built under BREEAM standards and BNB standards, an array of photovoltaic solar panels on the roof sky garden provide a source of renewable energy while a double-skin façade houses hanging gardens.

Best Tall Building Awards, Residential or Hotel Building: 277 Fifth Avenue, New York City

Jury comments: Transparency, glass, and expansive views are the defining characteristics of the building. To generate a uniform floor plate and units of the desired size, the building is cantilevered over an existing five-story brownstone.

Best Tall Building Awards, Mixed-Use Building: Kampung Admiralty, Singapore

Jury comments: A vertical village that contains senior apartments, a community plaza, medical center, and an urban farm, this prototype for land-use intensification is aimed specifically at an aging society.