Press releases
‘The Met’ High-rise apartment building wins International Highrise Award 2010
Burj Khalifa receives a special commendation
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. Wong Mun Summ, co-owner of the architecture firm WOHA in Singapore, accepted the symbolic prize statuette at an official ceremony in Frankfurt's Paulskirche. The award was presented by the Mayor of the City of Frankfurt/Main, Dr. h. c. Petra Roth and Dr. Matthias Danne, the member of the DekaBank Management Board responsible for real estate. 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.
High-rise apartment building sets new standards
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. All 370 apartments enjoy light and air from all sides, allowing for particularly sustainable living conditions in this tropical region without recourse to air conditioning. Extremely efficient both ecologically and in economic terms, the jury expects this structure "to prove ground-breaking on a global scale in the search for innovative local approaches to design."
The project developer of the high-rise building, which was completed in 2009, is Pebble Bay (Thailand) Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Hotel Properties Ltd. (HPL), Singapore, an international hotel operator and developer. The prize is worth EUR 50,000 and the developer is donating it to the School Pocket Money Fund run by The Straits Times, the Singapore daily newspaper. The fund supports the school education of children from low-income families.
High-rises open up new living space
In her speech Dr. h. c. Petra Roth stressed the importance the joint initiative by DekaBank and the City of Frankfurt/Main has for the city on the banks of the River Main: "Frankfurt's skyline and the International Highrise Award share a common idea: for both of them what is important is not record heights but the quality of the high-rises constructed in terms of design, urban planning and, increasingly, ecological aspects." The Head of Frankfurt's Culture Department, Prof. Felix Semmelroth, a member of the 2010 IHP jury, stated: "The Highrise Award is a seismograph of the international architectural debate and, beyond this, a way of expressing Frankfurt's commitment to Modernism." Dr. Matthias Danne, a member of DekaBank's Management Board, praised the prize-winner's achievement: "'The Met' is a successful example of the kind of economically efficient green building whose innovative approach to designing living space sets a precedent for future high-rises." And Peter Cachola Schmal, Director of Deutsches Architekturmuseum and a member of the IHA 2010 jury pointed out that: "'The Met' offers a rich palette of uses that actually make living at such airy heights something to be aimed for."
Exhibition commends other high-rise projects
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). The Burj Khalifa also received a special commendation for technological innovation in view of the numerous innovations it demonstrates in the field of building construction and elevator technology. In the jury's opinion, in future, both will exert a major influence on high-rise construction.
The exhibition "Best Highrises - International Highrise Award 2010," which, on account of conversion work at its own premises, Deutsches Architekturmuseum will be staging from 6 November 2010 through 16 January 2011 in a neighboring museum, Museum für Angewandte Kunst Frankfurt, honors the prize-winner along with the other four finalists, and presents the broad spectrum of the total of 27 nominated projects.
Composition for the winner premiered at the award ceremony
To mark the occasion of the award ceremony Frankfurt-based musician and sampling artist Sascha Wild and Frankfurt-based singer Nashi Young Cho staged a 360° sound performance. Produced in collaboration with Pedo Knopp, this commissioned work addresses the world of sounds and noises connected with the prize-winning building 'The Met', powerfully conveying the way that high-rise architecture is also a special acoustic experience.