This 10-Story Building is Awarded as Best Tall Building in the World.

 

The University of Chicago's David Rubenstein Forum has been named the 2022 Best Tall Building Worldwide by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH). 

The announcement was made on November 16th following the CTBUH 2022 International Conference, which was held in Chicago, the organization's home city. 

This selection is unusual for the CTBUH, which usually recognizes skyscrapers that are significantly taller than the David Rubenstein Forum, such as the Shanghai Tower in 2016 and the Salesforce Tower in 2019. 

The David Rubenstein Forum, designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro with Brininstool + Lynch, stands at a relatively modest 171 feet (52 meters) in height, shorter than the University of Chicago's iconic Rockefeller Chapel.

 

This year's award recognizes the David Rubenstein Forum for its unique design and location. The building, located on the Midway Plaisance, stands out among the lower buildings in the area due to its 10-story height. Its cantilevered volumes express the stacked and shifted "neighbourhoods" inside, which contain various meeting rooms and pre-function spaces. 

Unlike most conference centres, which are spread out horizontally, the Forum is oriented vertically, allowing for stunning views of the Loop to the north and low-rise neighbourhoods to the south from its upper floors. In a denser, taller urban environment, the building's design and location would allow it to stand out and frame views effectively.

2022 CTBUH Award of Excellence Winners (Regional):

• Best Tall Building Worldwide: David Rubenstein Forum, Chicago, United States
• Best Tall Building Americas: David Rubenstein Forum, Chicago, United States
• Best Tall Building Asia: Qingdao Hai Tian Center, China
• Best Tall Building Australia: Collins Arch, Melbourne, Australia
• Best Tall Building Europe: One Crown Place South, London, UK
• Best Tall Building Middle East & Africa: Azrieli Town Tower, Tel Aviv, Israel

2022 CTBUH Award of Excellence Winners (Height):

• Best Tall Building Under 100 Meters: David Rubenstein Forum, Chicago, United States
• Best Tall Building 100–199 Meters: Olderfleet, Melbourne, Australia
• Best Tall Building 200–299 Meters: One Dalton Street, Boston, United States
• Best Tall Building 300–399 Meters: The St. Regis Chicago, United States
• Best Tall Building 400 Meters and Above: One Vanderbilt Avenue, New York City, United States

2022 CTBUH Award of Excellence Winners (Typology):

• Best Tall Office Building: Trinity, Puteaux, France
• Best Tall Residential or Hotel Building: 111 West 57th Street, New York City, United States
• Best Tall Mixed-Use Building: Collins Arch, Melbourne, Australia
• Best Tall Non-Building: CopenHill, Copenhagen, Denmark
• Urban Habitat, Single-Site Scale: OōEli, Hangzhou, China
• Urban Habitat, District/Master Plan Scale: Wesley Place, Melbourne, Australia

2022 CTBUH Award of Excellence Winners (Technical):

• Innovation Award: Hydroskin
• Renovation Award: 55 Southbank, Melbourne, Australia
• Construction Award: Sydney Greenland Centre, Australia
• Structural Engineering Award: Ten Degrees Croydon, London, UK
• Systems Award: Trlllple, Austria, Vienna
• Geotechnical Engineering Award: 18 Robinson, Singapore
• Façade Engineering Award: Arlozorov 17, Tel Aviv, Israel
• Life Safety Design Award: Mjøstrånet, Brumunddal, Norway
• 10-Year Award: De Karel Doorman, Rotterdam Netherlands