Best skyscraper of 2010

Chicago's 81-storey Aqua hotel and residence has won the prominent Emporis Award for best skyscraper of 2009, the global building data base said here Wednesday.
Emporis's jury hailed the 249.7-metre (819.33-foot) Aqua tower "for its advances in sustainable design and for the imaginative and fascinating architectural effects it achieves."
The building is expected to earn a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver rating and "set a higher standard for the next generation of large-scale residential and hotel construction."
Despite the building's height it does not stick out in Chicago's celebrated skyline, Emporis data standards chairman Daniel Kieckhefer told AFP.
"Architect Jeanne Gang was aware of this, and turned it to dramatic effect - while the building looks ordinary enough from a distance, its fluid shape can deliver a breathtaking surprise to people who pass nearby and look up."
Emporis (www.emporis.com) gave a silver prize to the 23-storey O-14 tower in Dubai, and its bronze award to The Met, a 69-storey residential building in Bangkok, informs independent.co.uk.
Built near Lake Michigan, Aqua uses undulating balconies and glass planes to create a wave facade that has also been compared to a rippled curtain, a statement said.

04.03.10