As part of the annual Emporis Skyscraper Awards, a shortlist of the top ten skyscrapers in the world was announced, and One Barangaroo takes the top spot. An international jury of architectural experts selected the winners out of 300 skyscrapers completed in 2020 with a minimum height of 328 feet. This is the first time, in more than 20 years since the first award took place, that the prize has been won by an Australian building. Designed by WilkinsonEyre, the 890-foot-tall and 71-storey skyscraper is the tallest building in Sydney and it offers a 360-degrees view of the Sydney Harbor and the Opera House. “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 other top ten award winners are: TELUS Sky, in Calgary (Canada), by BIG and Dialog; One Vanderbilt in New York by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates; Libeskind Tower of City Life in Milan, by Daniel Libeskind; Qiantan Center in Shanghai, also by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates in collaboration with Tongji Architectural Design; Tour Alto in Courbevoie (France) by IF and SRA Architectes; Australia 108 in Melbourne, by Fender Katsalidis Architects; Central Park Tower, in New York, by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture and Adamson Associates; 110 North Wacker Drive, in Chicago, by Goettsch Partners; Grand Tower in Frankfurt am Main, by Magnus Kaminiarz & Cie. Architektur.