The results of the International Highrise Award (IHA) have been decided: »The Met«, a high-rise apartment building in Bangkok, Thailand, has won the prize, worth EUR 50,000, for the world's most innovative high-rise. Burj Khalifa in Dubai by SOM, currently the tallest high-rise in the world, and one of the finalists for the IHA 2010, was honored with a special commendation for technological innovation. At a height of 230 meters,»The Met« (design planning: WOHA, Singapore, associated architects: Tandem Architects, Bangkok) strikes an innovative green note at the heart of Sathorn, a tightly-packed inner-city district of Bangkok. »The idea is to open up a high-rise building so that it almost literally breathes, right in the middle of a mega-city,« was the verdict of the jury, which was chaired by Spencer de Grey, Head of Design at Foster + Partners, London, winners of the IHA 2008. Boasting balconies covered in greenery on the outside of the building and free areas cut crosswise into the body of the building, this high-rise stands out for its great transparency. Alongside this year's winner, the remaining four finalist buildings were also commended and the special award for technological innovation presented. Commendation certificates were awarded to the 262-meter high-rise apartment building Aqua Tower (Chicago) by Studio Gang (Chicago), the 828-meter Burj Khalifa (Dubai) by SOM (Chicago), the 492-meter Shanghai World Financial Center (Shanghai) by KPF (New York) and the 203-meter vocational school center Tokyo Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower (Tokyo) by Tange Associates (Tokyo).

Photographs left: Kirsten Bucher (above), the others Patrick Bingham-Hall

more photos

Video about "The Met" on aspekte, 5 November 2010


Exhibition
BEST HIGHRISES – International Highrise Award 2010
21.01.2011 – 25.02.2011
Trianon / DekaBank
Mainzer Landstraße 16, 60325 Frankfurt am Main

Opening: Thu, 20 January 2011, 17:00
Welcome by Silke Schuster-Müller, Head of Social Involvement DekaBank
Opening talk by Peter Cachola Schmal, Director Deutsches Architekturmuseum

Highlight of the opening will be the 360° sound performance by the Frankfurt based musician and sampling artist Sascha Wild, premiered on 5 November 2010 at the Paulskirche, on the occasion of the award ceremony. The commissioned work, produced in co-operation with Pedo Knopp, deals with the soundscapes of the prize winner 'The Met' and demonstrates that highrise architecture is also an extraordinary acustic experience.

Catalogue
Best High-Rises 2010|11
The International Highrise Award 2010
Peter Cachola Schmal/Michaela Busenkell (Eds.)
Published by Jovis Verlag, German / Englisch
All 27 nominated projects mit innovativ concepts, the finalists and the prize winner, with essays by WOHA – Wong Mun Summ, Richard Hassel and Antony Wood

Sample pages, PDF file

Flexocover, 21 x 27 cm, 112 pages
with ca. 100 coloured pictures
EUR (D) 25,00 SFr 40,00
ISBN 978-3-86859-089-0