The Deutsches Architekturmuseum (DAM) have named five finalists for the International Highrise Award (IHP) 2020. Selected from 31 nominated highrises in 14 countries, the projects include towers by Zaha Hadid Architects, BIG, SOM, OMA and Heatherwick Studio. The IHA is considered the world's most important architecture award for high-rise buildings.
The International Highrise Award is aimed at architects and developers whose buildings are at least 100 meters high and have been completed in the past two years. As in previous years, China is the country with the most high-rise projects, with roughly every third sky-rise with a height of at least 100 meters being built there. This year, the Casablanca Finance City Tower in Morocco is the first high-rise building on the African continent to be nominated for the award.
The winner will be honored on October 29th in Frankfurt's Paulskirche. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the event will be broadcast live. The International Highrise Award (IHA) is presented by the City of Frankfurt am Main together with Deutsches Architekturmuseum (DAM) and DekaBank, and is endowed with a statuette of the internationally renowned artist Thomas Demand and prize money of 50,000 euros. The 2020 finalists are:
- Omniturm (Frankfurt am Main/Germany) by BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group, Copenhagen / Denmark
- Eden (Singapore) by Heatherwick Studio, London / UK
- Norra Tornen (Stockholm / Sweden) by OMA Office for Metropolitan Architecture, Rotterdam / Netherlands
- The Stratford (London / UK) by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, London / UK
- Leeza SOHO (Beijing/China) by Zaha Hadid Architects, London / UK
The jury consists of architects, structural engineers, real-estate experts and architecture critics. It judges the nominated projects according to the following criteria: future-oriented design, functionality, innovative building technology, integration into urban development schemes, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness.
Previous recipients of the IHA:
- 2018 "Torre Reforma" in Mexico City (Mexico), BR&A Arquitectos as architects and developer.
- 2016 "VIA 57 West" in New York City (USA), BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group and The Durst Organization as the developer.
- 2014 "Bosco Verticale" in Milan (Italy), Boeri Studio and Hines Italia as the developer.
- 2012 "1 Blight Street" in Sydney (Australia), a cooperation between ingenhoven architects in Düsseldorf and Architectus in Sydney with DEXUS Property Group; DEXUS Wholesale Property Fund, Cbus Property as the developers.
- 2010 "The Met" in Bangkok (Thailand), WOHA in Singapore and Pebble Bay, Thailand as the developer.
- 2008 "Hearst Building" in New York (USA), Foster + Partners and Hearst Corporation as the developer.
- 2006 "Torre Agbar" in Barcelona (Spain), Ateliers Jean Nouvel and Layetana as the developer.
- 2004 "De Hoftoren" in The Hague (The Netherlands), Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (International) PA, London and ING Vastgoed as the developer.
News via Deutsches Architekturmuseum (DAM)
