The Danish architectural practice 3XN won the 10th International High-Rise Award for the office tower Quay Quarter Tower in Sydney, Australia, the world's most innovative high-rise in 2022/23. From over 1000 high-rises completed in the last two years, the Quay Quarter Tower was selected because it implemented innovative solutions in a time of increased ecological challenges by integrating a large proportion of the existing 1970s high-rise structure into the new building.
The architects Kim Herforth Nielsen (Founder and Creative Director of 3XN) and Fred Holt (3XN Partner and Australian Studio Director) will receive the prize at the IHA 10th edition ceremony in Frankfurt's Paulskirche, joining the laureates' list that includes the Norra Tornen by OMA (2020), Torre Reforma by LBR&A Arquitectos (2018), 57 West by BIG (2016), and Torre Agbar by Ateliers Jean Nouvel (2006).
The COVID-19 pandemic, along with supply chain problems and labor shortages, impacted the completion of buildings in the last two years. Nevertheless, the "high-rise" is becoming an ever more established type, as is evident from a glance at the buildings nominated. For the IHA 10th edition, 1000 high-rises worldwide applied, of which 34 projects from 13 countries were preselected.
The international jury, namely Sven Thorissen, Director and Architect MVRDV, Melkan Gürsel, and Bart Lootsma, among other experts, focused on how a high-rise architecture could assume responsibility for the environment and future generations. This is why sustainability was given the highest evaluation priority, in addition to other factors such as extraordinary aesthetics, trailblazing design, innovative technology, and economic efficiency. From the list, the jury announced the 5 World's Best Finalists, including the Vancouver House by BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group, TrIIIple Towers in Austria by Henke Schreieck Architekten, The Bryant in the USA by David Chipperfield Architects, Singapore State Courts by Serie Architects+ Multiply Architects, and the winner, Quay Quarter Tower by 3XN.
The 206 meters-tall Quay Quarter Tower proves that architectural transformation is possible at a large scale. Completed in April 2022, the tower is an identity-generating part of the redevelopment of Sydney's central business district, the bay behind the famous opera house. The site was previously occupied by a classic office tower that no longer met today's requirements. Instead of demolishing the building, as was usually the case in the past, it was decided to integrate large parts of the existing supporting structure into a new high-rise building.
In this way, two-thirds of the beams, columns, floor slabs, and almost the entire core built in the 1970s could be retained. These central aspects of the radical sustainability concept contributed save nearly 12,000 tons of carbon dioxide compared to complete demolition and conventional new construction tons – the equivalent of 8,800 flights between Copenhagen and Sydney.
The cantilevered modules on the façade, which wrap around the tower's five sections, reduce direct sunlight entering the Quay Quarter Tower by up to 30 percent. Among other things, this has eliminated the need for internal blinds while ensuring unparalleled views of the harbor. Moreover, the addition of new stories, the expansion of existing floors, and the new podium added 45,000 square meters of floor space, thus making much more efficient use of the site at this prominent location.
Right after the tower's completion, the dutch firm was selected by The EPFL Innovation Park (EIP) to lead the designs for the new "ecotope" for the EPFL Campus in Switzerland. Along with GXN and IB (Itten+Brechbühl SA), the project will expand the university's Science Park and Innovation Square to gather leaders in business, science, and technology while prioritizing biophilic principles.
