Emporis Skyscraper Award Winner 2020, Best Tall Building Projects News, New Tower Designs

Emporis Skyscraper Award 2020

26 + 22 Sep 2021

Down Under at the top: Australia wins prestigious Emporis Skyscraper Award for the first time!

photo © Tom Roe

Emporis Skyscraper Award 2020 Winner

This year the world’s most renowned architecture award for skyscrapers, the Emporis Skyscraper Award, goes to One Barangaroo in Sydney. For the first time in the more than 20 year-long history of the awards, the prestigious trophy goes to Australia. One Barangaroo is a 271-meter-tall skyscraper, designed by British architect WilkinsonEyre and is the tallest building in Sydney, offering spectacular views of Sydney Harbor and the city’s iconic Opera House.

Like every year, the winner of the Emporis Skyscraper Award was selected by an international jury of architectural experts from over 300 skyscrapers that were completed in 2020 with a minimum height of 100 meters. For more than 20 years, the renowned award has been awarded by Emporis (www.emporis.com), the international provider of building data, and is an indispensable part of the international architecture scene.

According to the jury, the extravagant design of One Barangaroo’s exterior façade was the deciding factor for the building coming in at first place. It is inspired by natural shapes and resembles three petals rising slightly twisted into the sky. The magnificent tower stands on a four story high podium, the outer walls of which are decorated with a mantle of marble. In addition to a casino, apartments and restaurants, the building also houses a luxury six-star hotel owned by the Crown Resort Group, Australia’s largest entertainment conglomerate and developer of One Barangaroo.

Emporis Skyscraper Award 2020 Winning Buildings

1. One Barangaroo Sydney, NSW, Australia
271 m high 71 storeys
Design: WilkinsonEyre; Bates Smart

photos © Tom Roe

WilkinsonEyre / Bates Smart Architects

Second place was awarded to TELUS Sky in Calgary which has become the city’s third tallest building. The tower is named after its tenant “Telus Communications” a Canadian telecommunications company.

TELUS Sky stands out because of its extraordinary structure and façade: it has a rectangular base and with rising height the floor plates gradually reduce in size, creating small terraces and balconies. The façade is illuminated at night by a public art LED lighting installation which has been designed by Canadian artist Douglas Coupland. The installation is also accompanied by a smartphone app with live information about the ongoing light performance.

2. TELUS Sky Calgary, Canada
222 m high 59 storeys
Design: BIG; Dialog

images © BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group

TELUS Sky Tower

3. One Vanderbilt New York City, USA
427 m high 59 storeys
Design: Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates

photos © Raimund Koch

4. Libeskind Tower Milan, Italy
175 m high 34 storeys
Design: Studio Daniel Libeskind

photos © Alberto Fanelli

5. Qiantan Center Shanghai, China
280 m high 56 storeys
Design: Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates; Tongji Architectural Design (Group) Co., Ltd.

photos © Rex Zou

6. Tour Alto Courbevoie, France
160 m high 38 storeys
Design: IF Architectes; SRA Architectes

photos © Thomas Pichereau

7. Australia 108 Melbourne, Australia
317 m high 100 storeys
Design: Arney Fender Katsalidis Architects

photo © Peter Bennetts

8. Central Park Tower New York City, USA
472 m high 98 storeys
Design: Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture; Adamson Associates

photo © Royce Douglas

9. 110 North Wacker Drive Chicago, USA
248 m high 55 storeys
Design: Goettsch Partners

photo © Nick Ulivieri Photography

110 North Wacker Drive Chicago

10. Grand Tower Frankfurt am Main, Germany
180 m high 51 storeys
Design: Magnus Kaminiarz & Cie. Architektur

photo © Jochen Kratschmer

Emporis Skyscraper Award 2021 news

About Emporis
Emporis is a provider of buildings and construction data, based in Germany. For over two decades Emporis has helped companies, organizations and individuals stay informed about the building industry. The Emporis Skyscraper Award is the world’s most renowned prize for high-rise architecture.

About the Award
The Emporis Skyscraper Award has been given since 2000. The jury is formed of architecture experts from all over the world, who judge nominated buildings according to aesthetic and functional design criteria. Previous winners include Lakhta Center (2019) in St. Petersburg, MGM Cotai (2018) in Macau, Lotte World Tower (2017) in Seoul.

photo © Tom Roe