The 85 m highrise is a prototype for a new generation of ecological buildings, running on less than 100 kWh/a/m² of primary energy it is one of the most energy-efficient office towers in the world. The streamlined form integrates itself into its surrounding context, while simultaneously standing out through the playful use of colour. At the same time it addresses the prevailing wind to exploit it for controlled natural ventilation within the building. The complexity of its environmental solutions reveal Sauerbruch Hutton's understanding of sustainability as an holistic approach to urban, environmental and architectural conditions. The building was planned in collaboration with Transsolar and Werner Sobek Ingenieure.
On awarding the prize, juror Peter Murray said, "The streamlined form integrates itself into its surrounding context, while simultaneously standing out through the playful use of color. Whereas many buildings use color as a way to mask an otherwise unremarkable building, here it contributes an additional rich layer to what is already a remarkable building."
Held on November 3rd in Mies van der Rohe's iconic Crown Hall on the Illinois Institute of Technology campus, the Awards Ceremony & Dinner was attended by an international audience of 320 tall-building professionals from around the world. For the second year, the Ceremony was preceded by an afternoon's Symposium with over 600 delegates attending to hear presentations from all the award winners.
Completion Date: May 2010
Height: 85 m (184 ft)
Gross Floor Area: 18,116 m² (195,000 ft²)
Use: Office
Owner: KfW Bankengruppe
Design Architect: Sauerbruch Hutton
Architectural Coordination: Architekten Theiss Planungsgesellschaft mbH
Structural Engineer: Werner Sobek GmbH
Energy Concept: Transsolar
MEP Engineer: Reuter Rührgartner GmbH; Zibell, Willner & Partner
