Great heights: The 2015 world's Best Tall Building is a towering forest

The crystalline form of the One World Trade Center in New York City by SOM scooped the regional award for the Americas.
A second appearance for skyscraper aficionados SOM - the mixed use Bacarat Hotel and Residences in New York City was a finalist in the Americas category.
The dramatic angled cantilever of the Torre Virreyes in Mexico City by Teodoro González de León was a finalist in the Americas category.
B.S.R.Towers in Tel Aviv, Israel by Moshe Zur Architects, comprising two residential 30-storey towers, was a finalist in the Middle East & Africa category.
The sophisticated push and pull effect of the glazed façades breaks up the 24-storey massing of the Al Hilal Bank Tower in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The tower by Goettsch Partners was a finalist in the Middle East & Africa category.
The sleek 88-storey residential Burj Mohammed Bin Rashid Tower in the heart of Aby Dhabi by Foster + Partners claimed the Middle East & Africa regional award.
The elegant and twisting ribbon-like form of the Evolution Tower office building in Moscow by RMJM was a finalist in the European category.
The Leadenhall Building, aka ‘The Cheesegrater’ on account of its tapering wedged form, by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners was a finalist in the European category. The innovative mixed use office and retail building joins a growing list of landmark towers in the City of London.
The smooth cylindrical form of the Police Headquarters & Charleroi Danses in Belgium by Ateliers Jean Nouvel & MDW Architecture creates a new urban landmark for Charleroi. Finalist in the European category, the mixed use building encourages diversity, combining the police headquarters with a dance company.
Malmö Live, a cultural centre by Schmidt Hammer Lassen is a collection of rectilinear volumes accommodating a concert hall, congress and hotel complex. A finalist in the European category, the interconnecting volumes are united by a well-ordered homogeneous exterior.
Swanston Square Apartment Tower in Melbourne by ARM Architecture is a mixed use development incorporating a striking balcony profile that defines the exterior. A finalist in the Asia & Australasia category, the tower creates an urban anchor on the northern end of Swanston Street.
The sustainable design for CapitaGreen in Singapore by Toyo Ito & Associates scooped the Asia & Australasia regional award.
The imposing glazed disc of Sunrise Kempinski Hotel in Beijing by Shanghai Huadu Architecture & Urban Planning Co. was a finalist in the Asia & Australasia category.
Five striking residential towers, linked by green bridges form Sky Terrace@Dawson in Singapore by SCDA Architects, a finalist in the Asia & Australasia category.
Siamese Ratchakru in Bangkok by Spaceshift Studio comprises of a 15-storey mixed use tower and a 28-storey residential tower. A finalist in the Asia & Australasia category, both volumes incorporate elevated greenery.
A blue ribbon-like profile defines this 28 storey Phoenix residential building in Melbourne by Fender Katsalidis Architects, finalist in the Asia & Australasia category.
INFORMATION
For more information on the award visit the CTBUH website
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
-
Titanium watches are strong, light and enduring: here are some of the best
Brands including Bremont, Christopher Ward and Grand Seiko are exploring the possibilities of titanium watches
By Chris Hall
-
Warp Records announces its first event in over a decade at the Barbican
‘A Warp Happening,' landing 14 June, is guaranteed to be an epic day out
By Tianna Williams
-
Cure your ‘beauty burnout’ with Kindred Black’s artisanal glassware
Does a cure for ‘beauty burnout’ lie in bespoke design? The founders of Kindred Black think so. Here, they talk Wallpaper* through the brand’s latest made-to-order venture
By India Birgitta Jarvis
-
Explore this new Lake Como villa and its powerful, cinematic views
A Lake Como villa by Tuckey Design Studio celebrates the history of its site and references the surrounding landscape through materiality
By Tianna Williams
-
2026 Olympic and Paralympic Torches: in Carlo Ratti's minimalism ‘the flame is the protagonist’
The 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Torches for the upcoming Milano Cortina Games have been revealed, designed by architect Carlo Ratti to highlight the Olympic flame
By Ellie Stathaki
-
Anni Albers' weaving magic offers a delightful 2-in-1 modernist showcase in Milan
A Milan Design Week showcase of Anni Albers’ weaving work, brought to life by Dedar with the Josef & Anni Albers Foundation, brings visitors to modernist icon, the BBPR-designed Torre Velasca
By Ellie Stathaki
-
Milan Design Week: ‘A Beat of Water’ highlights the power of the precious natural resource
‘A Beat of Water’ by BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group and Roca zooms in on water and its power – from natural element to valuable resource, touching on sustainability and consumption
By Ellie Stathaki
-
This Milan Design Week installation invites you to tread barefoot inside a palazzo
At Palazzo Litta, Moscapartners and Byoung Cho launch a contemplative installation on the theme of migration
By Ellie Stathaki
-
The upcoming Zaha Hadid Architects projects set to transform the horizon
A peek at Zaha Hadid Architects’ future projects, which will comprise some of the most innovative and intriguing structures in the world
By Anna Solomon
-
Manchester United and Foster + Partners to build a new stadium: ‘Arguably the largest public space in the world’
The football club will spend £2 billion on the ambitious project, which co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has described as the ‘world's greatest football stadium’
By Anna Solomon
-
Liu Jiakun wins 2025 Pritzker Architecture Prize: explore the Chinese architect's work
Liu Jiakun, 2025 Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate, is celebrated for his 'deep coherence', quality and transcendent architecture
By Ellie Stathaki