Skyscraper of the Year

The Hearst Tower has been named "Skyscraper of the Year" by building research firm, Emporis, for its impressive design and strong environmental credentials.

The building, whose 46 floors are served by 15 state-of-the-art Schindler 7000s, topped a list of 467 eligible skyscrapers completed worldwide in 2006. The award was presented at a ceremony in New York in May.

For the jury of 27 experts, there was no competition. They awarded 83 points to the Hearst Tower, putting it way ahead of all other skyscrapers, which Emporis defines as buildings "at least 100 metres tall".

Second place and third places went to structures in Australia, with "The Wave" in Gold Coast City being awarded 61 points, and Eureka Tower in Melbourne, 59.

It's the second accolade for the Hearst Tower, which won New York Construction magazine's "Project of the Year" award for 2006.

"Environmentally beneficial"

Both awards were for the Tower's "environmentally beneficial features" and design, with the Emporis jury also praising its spectacular interior spaces and "the tasteful enhancement" of its surroundings.

The jury added that the Tower set an example for other buildings, amid the increasing emphasis on "green design". It is the first office building in New York to have been awarded the United States' Green Building Council's Gold Rating for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

The Tower is equipped with Schindler's state-of-the-art traffic management technology which, by grouping passengers according to their destinations, reduces the number of stops an elevator must make and keeps journey times to a minimum.

Architects Foster & Partners is the only firm to have won the award twice; the first time in 2003 for 30 St Mary Axe. The building is owned by the Hearst Corporation which uses it as its world headquarters.

Groundbreaking features

Groundbreaking features singled out by the jury include a system which collects rainwater from the roof to humidify the air inside; automatic sensors which regulate the use of electricity; an open plan design which allows sunlight to reach everywhere; and extensive use of recycled steel in the building's structure.

The Tower's distinctive diagonal grid structure not only won plaudits for its aesthetic appeal, but also for its framing system, which uses no vertical beams above the base, and so reduced the amount of steel needed for the structure by an estimated 2000 tons.

Emporis is a leading provider of building-related information for ratings, research and analysis. It defines a skyscraper as a "high-rise building at least 100 metres tall".

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