SOM (architectural firm): Difference between revisions
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{{short description|American architectural and engineering firm}} |
{{short description|American architectural and engineering firm}} |
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{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2018}} |
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{{Infobox company |
{{Infobox company |
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| name = |
| name = SOM |
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| logo = Skidmore, Owings & Merrill logo.svg |
| logo = Skidmore, Owings & Merrill logo.svg |
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| type = [[ |
| type = [[Privately held company|Private]] |
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| foundation = [[Chicago]], |
| foundation = {{Start date and age|1936}}, in [[Chicago]], Illinois, U.S. |
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| founders = [[Louis Skidmore]] |
| founders = {{ubl|[[Louis Skidmore]]|[[Nathaniel Owings]]|[[John O. Merrill|John Merrill]]}} |
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| area_served = Worldwide |
| area_served = Worldwide |
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| key_people = Mustafa Abadan |
| key_people = Mustafa Abadan, [[William F. Baker (engineer)|William F. Baker]], Thomas Behr, Keith Boswell, Carrie Byles, Larry Chien, Leo Chow, Brant Coletta, Chris Cooper, Paul Danna, [[Mark Sarkisian]], Michael Duncan, Scott Duncan, Laura Ettelman, Xuan Fu, [[T.J. Gottesdiener]], [[Gary Haney]], [[Craig Hartman]], Kent Jackson, Colin Koop, Kenneth Lewis, Adam Semel, Jonathan Stein, Douglas Voigt |
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| industry = [[Professional services]] |
| industry = [[Professional services]] |
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| services = [[Architecture]], |
| services = [[Architecture]], building services/MEP [[engineering]], graphics, [[interior design]], [[structural engineering]], [[civil engineering]], [[sustainable design]] and [[urban design]] & planning |
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| revenue = |
| revenue = $347 million (2021) |
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| operating_income = |
| operating_income = |
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| net_income = |
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| net_income = <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nyc.gov/html/lpc/downloads/pdf/reports/Manhattan_house.pdf |title=Designation report |first= Matthew A. |last=Postal |year=2007 |publisher=Nyc.gov}}</ref> |
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| assets = |
| assets = |
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| equity = |
| equity = |
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'''Skidmore, Owings & Merrill |
'''SOM''', previously '''Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP''', is a [[Chicago]]-based [[architect]]ural, [[urban planning]], and [[engineering]] firm. It was founded in 1936 by [[Louis Skidmore]] and [[Nathaniel Owings]]. In 1939, they were joined by engineer [[John O. Merrill]]. The firm opened its second office, in [[New York City]], in 1937 and has since expanded, with offices in [[San Francisco]], [[Los Angeles]], [[Washington, D.C.]], [[London]], [[Melbourne]], [[Hong Kong]], [[Shanghai]], [[Seattle]], and [[Dubai]]. |
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The firm's notable current work includes the new headquarters for [[The Walt Disney Company]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ny.curbed.com/2019/11/13/20962397/disney-hudson-square-skidmore-owings-merrill|title=First Look at Disney's SOM-Designed Hudson Square HQ|first=Amy|last=Plitt|date=November 13, 2019|website=Curbed NY}}</ref> the global headquarters for [[Citigroup]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/citi-opens-public-plaza-in-nycs-tribeca-neighborhood-as-part-of-renovation-of-global-headquarters-2017-10-03 |title=Citi Opens Public Plaza in NYC's TriBeCa Neighborhood as Part of Renovation of Global Headquarters – MarketWatch |website=marketwatch.com |access-date=15 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191219234443/https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/citi-opens-public-plaza-in-nycs-tribeca-neighborhood-as-part-of-renovation-of-global-headquarters-2017-10-03 |archive-date=19 December 2019 |url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Moynihan Train Hall]] and the expanded [[Pennsylvania Station (New York City)|Penn Station]] complex,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.architectmagazine.com/design/buildings/som-restarts-moynihan-station-project_o |title=SOM Restarts Moynihan Station Project | Architect Magazine | Design, Projects, Infrastructure Projects, Community Projects, Urbanization, Urban Planning, New York, NY, Andrew M. Cuomo, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Skidmore Owings & Merrill, McKim, Mead & White, New York |website=www.architectmagazine.com |access-date=15 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160117042712/http://www.architectmagazine.com/design/buildings/som-restarts-moynihan-station-project_o |archive-date=17 January 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref> and the restoration and renovation of the [[Waldorf Astoria]] in New York City;<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ny.curbed.com/2018/8/21/17764120/waldorf-astoria-renovation-timeline-anbang-new-york|title=Waldorf Astoria Renovation Moves into Its Next Phase|first=Zoe|last=Rosenberg|date=August 21, 2018|website=Curbed NY}}</ref> airport projects at [[O'Hare International Airport]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/7/8/20686722/skidmore-owings-merrill-satellite-concourses-ohare-airport-expansion-global-terminal|title=Skidmore, Owings & Merrill Chosen to Design Two New Satellite Concourses at O'Hare Airport|first=Fran|last=Spielman|date=July 8, 2019|website=Chicago Sun-Times}}</ref> [[Kansas City International Airport]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.archdaily.com/924300/som-unveils-revised-design-for-1-dollars-5-cents-billion-kansas-city-airport-terminal|title=SOM Unveils Revised Design for $1.5 Billion Kansas City Airport Terminal|date=September 5, 2019|website=ArchDaily}}</ref> and [[Kempegowda International Airport]]; urban master plans for the Charenton-Bercy district in Paris, New Covent Garden in London, [[Treasure Island, San Francisco|Treasure Island]] in San Francisco, the East Riverfront in Detroit; P.S. 62, the first net-zero-energy school in New York City;<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.architectmagazine.com/project-gallery/ps-62-kathleen-grimm-school-for-leadership-and-sustainability_o|title=P.S. 62 Kathleen Grimm School for Leadership and Sustainability | Architect Magazine}}</ref> and the design of the Moon Village, a concept for the first permanent lunar settlement, developed with the [[European Space Agency]] and [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.architectmagazine.com/technology/skidmore-owings-merrill-proposes-a-moon-village-for-permanent-lunar-settlement_o|title=Skidmore, Owings & Merrill Proposes a Moon Village for Permanent Lunar Settlement | Architect Magazine}}</ref> Notable for its role as a pioneer of modernist architecture in America and for its groundbreaking work in [[skyscraper design and construction]], SOM has designed some of the world's most significant architectural and urban projects including several of the [[tallest buildings in the world]]: [[John Hancock Center]] (1969, second tallest in the world when built), [[Willis Tower]] (1973, tallest in the world for over twenty years), [[One World Trade Center]] (2014, currently the seventh tallest in the world), and [[Burj Khalifa]] (2010, currently the world's tallest building).<ref>{{Cite web|title=100 Tallest Completed Buildings in the World – The Skyscraper Center|url=https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/buildings|access-date=2021-12-21|website=skyscrapercenter.com}}</ref> |
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SOM's multidisciplinary practice works across a range of scales and project types, providing services in [[ |
SOM's multidisciplinary practice works across a range of scales and project types, providing services in [[architecture]], building services/MEP engineering, digital design, graphics, [[interior design]], [[structural engineering]], [[civil engineering]], [[sustainable design]] and [[urban design]] & planning.<ref>Adams, Nicholas. "Skidmore, Owings & Merrill: The Experiment since 1936." Milan: Electa. 2006.</ref> |
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==History== |
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===20th century=== |
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The firm's first influential project was [[Lever House]], completed in 1952 to become the first [[International Style]] office building in New York City. Constructed of glass and steel at a time when [[Park Avenue]] was lined with masonry buildings, Lever House introduced a modernist aesthetic that embodied the spirit of the times and influenced an entire generation of high-rise construction. |
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In 1962, architectural historian [[Reyner Banham]] wrote that, "It gave architectural expression to an age just as the age was being born ... Lever House was an uncontrollable success, imitated and sometimes understood all over the Americanized world, and one of the sights of New York".<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 9, 1982 |title=Lever House |url=http://s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/lpc/lp/1277.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240328153640/https://s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/lpc/lp/1277.pdf |archive-date=2024-03-28 |archive-format=PDF |access-date=2024-07-21 |publisher=Landmarks Preservation Commission |language=en-us |format=PDF}}</ref> |
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=== Pioneer of modern architecture === |
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Many of SOM's postwar designs are recognized as icons of American modern architecture. The firm's most influential early project was [[Lever House]], completed in 1952 to become the first [[International Style (architecture)|International Style]] office building in New York City. Constructed of glass and steel at a time when [[Park Avenue]] was lined with masonry buildings, Lever House introduced a sleek modernist aesthetic that embodied the spirit of the times and influenced an entire generation of high-rise construction. As architectural historian [[Reyner Banham]] wrote in 1962, “It gave architectural expression to an age just as the age was being born ... Lever House was an uncontrollable success, imitated and sometimes understood all over the Americanized world, and one of the sights of New York”.<ref>http://s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/lpc/lp/1277.pdf</ref> In 1982, the [[New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission]] designated Lever House an official landmark.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1982/12/18/the-house-that-lever-built/a2bf6a9b-4388-44fe-a94f-90920ab3401a/|title=The House That Lever Built|first=Benjamin|last=Forgey|date=December 18, 1982|via=www.washingtonpost.com}}</ref> |
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⚫ | In the 1970s, SOM pioneered a new era of skyscraper design with its work in Chicago, including the [[John Hancock Center]] (completed 1970) and [[Willis Tower]] (formerly Sears Tower), which became the world's tallest structure upon its completion in 1973 and remained so for more than 20 years. Both towers are the result of collaboration between architect [[Bruce Graham]] and engineer [[Fazlur Rahman Khan]], who is often considered to be the greatest structural engineer of the 20th century.{{Weasel inline|date=November 2022}} Khan invented a tubular framing system that made it possible to build higher than ever before. This system has been adapted and is still used today for some of the world's most recent tallest buildings, including the 828-meter-tall [[Burj Khalifa]], designed by SOM and completed in 2010. |
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⚫ | In the 1960s and 1970s, SOM was an early leader in computer-aided design, developing in-house digital tools that preceded the CAD systems used widely today. This work quickly proved valuable in the generation of structural analysis tools that were embraced by [[Fazlur Khan]] and his engineering team, aiding the design of projects such as the John Hancock Center. |
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⚫ | The activity of an experimental research group at SOM, known as the Computer Group, exemplifies a particularly productive effort within the firm to incorporate technological research into its practice. Through the 1970s and 1980s, members of the relatively small, dedicated group pushed to integrate the computer's enhanced data-storing and analytical abilities into various phases of the design process. Through these initiatives, SOM was able to identify the potential of the computer to not only expedite necessary calculations but also introduce new ways of representing and sharing information. Just as structural engineering came to be seen early on at SOM as a means of generating rather than simply realizing architectural ideas, with concerted effort, computers gained credence at the firm, and eventually throughout the industry, as a catalyst for architectural innovation. |
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=== Sustainable design === |
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In 1980, an in-house team at SOM created Architecture Engineering Systems, a computer program that was used to study complex structural systems and energy demands.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.som.com/ideas/research/building_on_the_legacy_of_technological_and_architectural_innovation | title = Building on the Legacy of Technological and Architectural Innovation | date = April 2019 | publisher = Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP | access-date = December 20, 2019 | archive-date = July 12, 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210712120350/https://www.som.com/ideas/research/building_on_the_legacy_of_technological_and_architectural_innovation | url-status = dead}}</ref> This program is regarded as a precursor to the array of [[building information modeling]] (BIM) tools now used by the profession.{{citation needed|date=January 2020}} |
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⚫ | In 2015, SOM completed the first [[net-zero-energy]] school building in New York City and one of the first worldwide. The Kathleen Grimm School for Leadership and Sustainability at [[Sandy Ground, Staten Island]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/11407-continuing-education-the-kathleen-grimm-school-for-leadership-and-sustainability-at-sandy-ground?v=preview|title=Continuing Education: The Kathleen Grimm School for Leadership and Sustainability at Sandy Ground|website=www.architecturalrecord.com}}</ref> has been awarded for its sustainability performance by organizations including the American Institute of Architects, the Municipal Art Society, and [[Urban Land Institute]]. SOM has been recognized for its research and experimentation with new energy-saving and carbon-reducing technologies, |
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⚫ | SOM's projects have featured works of art by significant artists. In many cases, the firm's architects and engineers played a role in commissioning, engineering, and installing the artworks—such as with the [[Chicago Picasso]], a 50-foot-tall steel sculpture in the city's civic center. [[Joan Miró]], [[Alexander Calder]], [[Isamu Noguchi]], [[Harry Bertoia]], [[Richard Lippold]], [[Jean Dubuffet]] and [[Chryssa]] are among the artists whose work has been a part of SOM projects. More recently, SOM's architects and engineers have collaborated with artists such as [[James Turrell]], [[Janet Echelman]], [[Iñigo Manglano–Ovalle]], [[James Carpenter (architect)|James Carpenter]], and [[Jaume Plensa]]. |
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=== High-rise innovation === |
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⚫ | In the 1970s, SOM pioneered a new era of skyscraper design with its work in Chicago, including the [[John Hancock Center]] (completed 1970) and [[Willis Tower]] (formerly Sears Tower), which became the world's tallest structure upon its completion in 1973 and remained so for more than 20 years. Both towers are the result of collaboration between architect [[Bruce Graham]] and engineer [[Fazlur Rahman Khan]], who is often considered to be the greatest structural engineer of the 20th century. Khan invented a tubular framing system that made it possible to build higher than ever before. This system has been adapted and is still used today for some of the world's most recent tallest buildings, including the 828-meter-tall [[Burj Khalifa]], designed by SOM and completed in 2010. |
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⚫ | In 1953, the firm completed the [[Manufacturers Trust Company Building]] in New York City, the first international style bank building in the United States,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/29/arts/design/manufacturers-hanover-trust-landmark-battle.html|title=Modernist Landmark Behind a Court Battle|first=Robin|last=Pogrebin|newspaper=The New York Times|date=September 28, 2011}}</ref> Seven years later, in 1960, the firm completed [[500 Park Avenue|Pepsi-Cola World Headquarters]].<ref name="nyt19600202">{{Cite news |date=February 2, 1960 |title=Pepsi-Cola Dedicates Home |url=http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1960/08/07/99773857.pdf |url-access=subscription |access-date=April 21, 2021 |work=The New York Times |page=56 |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> In 1961, the firm completed [[One Chase Manhattan Plaza]], which is now [[28 Liberty Street]], the first International Style building to rise in New York City's [[Financial District, Manhattan|Financial District]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Grutzner|first=Charles|date=May 18, 1961|title=Chase Bank Opens 64-Story Tower; New Building Downtown Is 6Th Tallest in World|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1961/05/18/archives/chase-bank-opens-64story-tower-new-building-downtown-is-6th-tallest.html|access-date=May 6, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The 28 Liberty Street project helped reverse an exodus of corporate clients from [[Lower Manhattan]] to [[Midtown Manhattan]] and the suburbs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/lpc/lp/2294.pdf|title=One Chase Manhattan Plaza|date=February 10, 2009|publisher=[[New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission]]|access-date=2020-10-16}}</ref> SOM's design for 28 Liberty Street also created a plaza surrounding the tower, a novel concept that would be adapted in many future projects.<ref>{{Cite journal|date=July 1961|title=The Chase: Portrait of a Giant|url=https://usmodernist.org/AF/AF-1961-07.pdf|journal=Architectural Forum|volume=115|page=71|access-date=2020-10-16|number=1}}</ref> |
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=== Digital design innovation === |
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⚫ | In the 1960s and 1970s, SOM was an early leader in computer-aided design, developing in-house digital tools that preceded the CAD systems used widely today. This work quickly proved valuable in the generation of structural analysis tools that were embraced by [[Fazlur Khan]] and his engineering team, aiding the design of projects such as the John Hancock Center. |
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⚫ | In [[Colorado Springs, Colorado]], SOM planned a campus for the [[United States Air Force Academy]]. Built between 1958 and 1968, the campus broke from the traditions of West Point and Annapolis to become the first U.S. military academy designed in the modern style.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/articles/united-states-air-force-academy.htm|title=United States Air Force Academy (U.S. National Park Service)|website=www.nps.gov}}</ref> The centerpiece of the campus is the [[United States Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel|Cadet Chapel]], designed by architect [[Walter Netsch]]. The American Institute of Architects awarded the building with its prestigious [[Twenty-five Year Award]], conferred onto "a building that has set a precedent for the last 25 to 35 years and continues to set standards of excellence for its architectural design and significance" .<ref>{{Cite web |title=Twenty-Five Year Award – AIA |url=https://www.aia.org/awards/7141-twenty-five-year-award |access-date=2022-11-12 |website=www.aia.org}}</ref> |
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⚫ | The activity of an experimental research group at SOM known as the Computer Group exemplifies a particularly productive effort within the firm to incorporate technological research into its practice. Through the 1970s and 1980s, members of the relatively small, dedicated group pushed to integrate the computer's enhanced data-storing and analytical abilities into various phases of the design process. Through these initiatives, SOM was able to identify the potential of the computer to not only expedite necessary calculations but also introduce new ways of representing and sharing information. Just as structural engineering came to be seen early on at SOM as a means of generating rather than simply realizing architectural ideas, with concerted effort, computers gained credence at the firm, and eventually throughout the industry, as a catalyst for architectural innovation. |
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⚫ | In 1969, SOM founder Nathaniel Owings wrote, "Civilizations leave marks on the Earth by which they are known and judged. In large measure, the nature of their immortality is gauged by how well their builders made peace with the environment." (source: Nathaniel Owings, "The American Aesthetic," Harper & Row, 1969) This ethos has shaped the firm's journey into sustainable practices. An early example is [[Weyerhaeuser Corporate Headquarters|the corporate headquarters]] it designed for [[timber]]land company [[Weyerhaeuser]], completed in 1971, which has been called the "original green building" not only for its integration into the surrounding landscape, but also for its use of efficient building systems. |
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=== Integrating art and architecture === |
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===21st century=== |
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In 2007, the firm completed a large-scale sustainable architecture project for the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the first federal office building to receive [[LEED]] certification. Like Weyerhaeuser, the design of the campus works in concert with its natural surroundings and incorporates a range of design strategies to reduce its environmental impact. |
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⚫ | In 2015, SOM completed the first [[Zero-energy building|net-zero-energy]] school building in New York City and one of the first worldwide. The Kathleen Grimm School for Leadership and Sustainability at [[Sandy Ground, Staten Island]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/11407-continuing-education-the-kathleen-grimm-school-for-leadership-and-sustainability-at-sandy-ground?v=preview|title=Continuing Education: The Kathleen Grimm School for Leadership and Sustainability at Sandy Ground|website=www.architecturalrecord.com}}</ref> has been awarded for its sustainability performance by organizations, including the [[American Institute of Architects]], the [[Municipal Art Society]], and the [[Urban Land Institute]]. SOM has been recognized for its research and experimentation with new energy-saving and carbon-reducing technologies, inckuding a timber tower<ref>{{Cite web|title=New Timber Tower Research Validated By Successful Test|url=https://www.som.com/news/new_timber_tower_research_validated_by_successful_test|access-date=2020-07-18|website=SOM|language=en}}</ref> and a modified concrete slab design.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Shapiro|first=Gideon Fink|date=2020-07-12|title=Award: Stereoform Slab's Optimized Structure Reduces Embodied Concrete|url=https://www.architectmagazine.com/awards/r-d-awards/award-stereoform-slabs-optimized-structure-reduces-embodied-concrete_o|access-date=2020-07-18|website=Architect Magazine}}</ref> |
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==People== |
==People== |
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SOM is structured as a partnership. The current partners and consulting partners are: Mustafa Abadan |
SOM is structured as a partnership. The current partners and consulting partners are: Mustafa Abadan, William Baker, Thomas Behr, Keith Boswell, Carrie Byles, Larry Chien, Leo Chow, Brant Coletta, Chris Cooper, Paul Danna, Michael Duncan, Scott Duncan, Laura Ettelman, Xuan Fu, T.J. Gottesdiener, Gary Haney, Craig Hartman, Kent Jackson, Colin Koop, Kenneth Lewis, Mark Sarkisian, Adam Semel, Jonathan Stein, and Douglas Voigt. |
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===Founders and notable architects=== |
===Founders and notable architects=== |
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<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:John Ogden Merrill SOM.jpg|thumb|right|400px|SOM's original three partners — [[Louis Skidmore]], [[Nathaniel Owings]] and [[John O. Merrill]].]] --> |
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:John Ogden Merrill SOM.jpg|thumb|right|400px|SOM's original three partners — [[Louis Skidmore]], [[Nathaniel Owings]] and [[John O. Merrill]].]] --> |
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Gordon Bunshaft, who thrived as a design leader at SOM for more than 40 years, received the profession's highest honor, the Pritzker Architecture Prize, in |
Gordon Bunshaft, who thrived as a design leader at SOM for more than 40 years, received the profession's highest honor, the Pritzker Architecture Prize, in 1988. |
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Notable architects who are associated with SOM include: [[T. J. Gottesdiener]], [[Edward Charles Bassett]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.artic.edu/aic/libraries/research/specialcollections/oralhistories/bassett.html|title=Edward Charles Bassett ( |
Notable architects who are associated with SOM include: [[T. J. Gottesdiener]], [[Edward Charles Bassett]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.artic.edu/aic/libraries/research/specialcollections/oralhistories/bassett.html|title=Edward Charles Bassett (1921–1999)|publisher=The Art Institute of Chicago|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120417145841/http://www.artic.edu/aic/libraries/research/specialcollections/oralhistories/bassett.html|archive-date=April 17, 2012}}</ref> [[Natalie de Blois]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.som.com/content.cfm/natalie_de_blois_interview|title=Natalie De Blois Interviewed by Detlef Mertins, June 17, 2004|work=SOM Journal 4|publisher=Hatje Cantz|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415043027/http://www.som.com/content.cfm/natalie_de_blois_interview|archive-date=April 15, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.artic.edu/aic/libraries/research/specialcollections/oralhistories/deblois.html|title=Oral History of Natalie De Blois|publisher=The Art Institute of Chicago|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120417145735/http://www.artic.edu/aic/libraries/research/specialcollections/oralhistories/deblois.html|archive-date=April 17, 2012}}</ref> [[Gordon Bunshaft]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.artic.edu/aic/libraries/research/specialcollections/oralhistories/bunshaft.html|title=Oral History of Gordon Bunshaft (1909–1990)|publisher=The Art Institute of Chicago|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120417145752/http://www.artic.edu/aic/libraries/research/specialcollections/oralhistories/bunshaft.html|archive-date=April 17, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.som.com/content.cfm/gordon_bunshaft_interview|title=Gordon Bunshaft Interviewed by Betty J. Blum, April 4–7, 1989|work=SOM Journal 3|publisher=Hatje Cantz|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110106030830/http://www.som.com/content.cfm/gordon_bunshaft_interview|archive-date=January 6, 2011}}</ref> [[David Childs]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wtc.com/media/videos/David%20Childs,%20SOM|title=David Childs, SOM Architect, Presents Final Design for the Freedom Tower – June 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150228020133/http://www.wtc.com/media/videos/David%20Childs,%20SOM|archive-date=February 28, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.metropolismag.com/uncategorized/ground-zeros-saving-grace/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130511084717/http://www.metropolismag.com/story/20060417/ground-zeros-saving-grace|title=Ground Zero's Saving Grace|date=May 1, 2006|archive-date=May 11, 2013}}</ref> Robert Diamant,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.som.com/news/in_memory_robert_diamant_former_som_partner|title=In Memory: Robert Diamant, Former SOM Partner|website=SOM|language=en-US|access-date=April 15, 2018}}</ref> [[Philip Enquist]], [[Myron Goldsmith]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.som.com/content.cfm/myron_goldsmith|title=Myron Goldsmith: Keating Hall at IIT, By Nicholas Adams|work=SOM Journal 5|publisher=Hatje Cantz|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120424144436/http://www.som.com/content.cfm/myron_goldsmith|archive-date=April 24, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.artic.edu/aic/libraries/research/specialcollections/oralhistories/goldsmith.html|title=Oral History of Myron Goldsmith (1918–1996)|publisher=The Art Institute of Chicago|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120417145935/http://www.artic.edu/aic/libraries/research/specialcollections/oralhistories/goldsmith.html|archive-date=April 17, 2012}}</ref> [[Bruce Graham]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.som.com/content.cfm/late_som_architect_bruce_graham_honored|title=Late SOM Architect Bruce Graham Honored: In Recognition of Graham's 40-Year Career in Chicago, The Tribute to the Mastermind of the Willis (Sears) Tower and John Hancock Center Included the Dedication of Honorary Bruce J. Graham Way|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110806161550/http://www.som.com/content.cfm/late_som_architect_bruce_graham_honored|archive-date=August 6, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.artic.edu/aic/libraries/research/specialcollections/oralhistories/graham.html|title=Oral History of Bruce Graham (1925–2010)|publisher=The Art Institute of Chicago|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120516010755/http://www.artic.edu/aic/libraries/research/specialcollections/oralhistories/graham.html|archive-date=May 16, 2012}}</ref> [[Gary Haney]], [[Craig W. Hartman]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704250104575238963846447290|title=Hartman's Designs|newspaper=Wall Street Journal|date=May 12, 2010}}</ref> [[Gertrude Kerbis]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.artic.edu/aic/libraries/research/specialcollections/oralhistories/kerbis/index.html|title=Oral History of Gertrude Kerbis (B. 1926)|publisher=The Art Institute of Chicago|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120417145036/http://www.artic.edu/aic/libraries/research/specialcollections/oralhistories/kerbis/index.html|archive-date=April 17, 2012}}</ref> [[Fazlur Rahman Khan]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fazlurrkhan.com/ |title=Fazlurrkhan.com |publisher=fazlurrkhan.com |access-date=June 14, 2013 |archive-date=January 16, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120116231657/http://www.fazlurrkhan.com/ |url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Lucien Lagrange]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.af-chicago.org/app/Calendar.asp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110903094412/http://www.af-chicago.org/app/Calendar.asp?event=398&type=38|title=App: Calendar.asp|archive-date=September 3, 2011|website=Alliance Française de Chicago}}</ref> [[Walter Netsch]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.artic.edu/aic/libraries/research/specialcollections/oralhistories/netsch.html|title=Oral History of Walter Netsch (1920–2008)|publisher=The Art Institute of Chicago|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120418010301/http://www.artic.edu/aic/libraries/research/specialcollections/oralhistories/netsch.html|archive-date=April 18, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.som.com/content.cfm/walter_netsch_interview|title=Walter Netsch Interviewed by Detlef Mertins, May 21, 2001|work=SOM Journal 1|publisher=Hatje Cantz|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091016003420/http://www.som.com/content.cfm/walter_netsch_interview|archive-date=October 16, 2009}}</ref> [[Larry Oltmanns]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.arcplusonline.com/Awards_jury04.php |title=Architecture+ Awards | 2004 Jury |publisher=Arcplusonline.com |access-date=June 14, 2013 |archive-date=March 25, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120325044248/http://www.arcplusonline.com/Awards_jury04.php |url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Eszter Pécsi]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=Pécsi Eszter 100 {{!}} Budapesti Műszaki ÉS Gazdaságtudományi Egyetem|url=https://www.bme.hu/pecsieszter100|website=www.bme.hu|access-date=2020-05-27}}</ref> [[Brigitte Peterhans]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.artic.edu/aic/libraries/research/specialcollections/oralhistories/peterhans.html |title=Research | The Art Institute of Chicago |publisher=Artic.edu |access-date=June 14, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110805012218/http://www.artic.edu/aic/libraries/research/specialcollections/oralhistories/peterhans.html |archive-date=August 5, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://digital-libraries.saic.edu/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/caohp&CISOPTR=23964&REC=2 |title=Oral History of Brigitte Peterhans / Interviewed by Betty J. Blum, Compiled Under the Auspices of the Ryerson and Burnham Libraries, The Art Institute of Chicago. :: Chicago Architects Oral History Project |publisher=Digital-libraries.saic.edu |access-date=June 14, 2013}}{{Dead link|date=February 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}}</ref> [[Norma Merrick Sklarek]], [[Adrian Smith (architect)|Adrian Smith]],<ref>{{cite news|last1=Keegan|first1=Edward|title=Adrian Smith Leaves SOM|url=http://www.architectmagazine.com/design/adrian-smith-leaves-som_o|access-date=October 11, 2015|work=Architect Magazine|date=October 27, 2006|location=Washington, DC}}</ref> and [[Marilyn Jordan Taylor]]<ref>{{cite book|last=Lewis|first=Anna|title=Women of Steel and Stone: 22 Inspirational Architects, Engineers, And Landscape Designers|url=https://archive.org/details/womenofsteelston0000lewi|url-access=registration|date=2014|publisher=Chicago Review Press|location=Chicago, Illinois|pages=[https://archive.org/details/womenofsteelston0000lewi/page/88 88]–94|isbn=978-1-61374-511-3}}</ref> |
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===Women at SOM=== |
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Architect [[Sarah P. Harkness|Sally Harkness]], a founding partner at [[The Architects Collaborative]] in 1947, was interviewed at the firm during [[World War II]] along with her husband [[John C. Harkness|Chip Harkness]], but only her husband received a job offer. In an interview later in life, Sally Harkness explained that she was told the firm did not believe in hiring women.<ref>{{cite AV media |people=Cox, Wendy|date=June 17, 2021|title=Sarah Pillsbury Harkness: Legacy of Craft Within Modernism |trans-title= |type= |language= |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4aRCoWsLG4 |access-date= |archive-url= |archive-date= |format=recorded lecture|time=00:23:04 minutes |location= |publisher=Historic New England}}</ref> [[Norma Merrick Sklarek]], an African-American, was hired by SOM in 1955 after having been previously rejected by 19 other firms. She stayed there for 5 years, eventually starting her own firm.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Morton |first1=Patricia |title=Norma Merrick Sklarek |url=https://pioneeringwomen.bwaf.org/norma-merrick-sklarek |website=Pioneering Women of American Architecture |publisher=Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation |access-date=14 February 2022}}</ref> [[Patricia Swan|Patricia Weston Swan]] spent her 30-year career with SOM including many leadership roles but never achieved partner status, perceived by a colleague in the Denver officer as evidence of the "[[glass ceiling]]" that was in place at that time at SOM<ref>{{cite web |last1=Mäkelä |first1=Taisto H. |title=Patricia Weston Swan |url=https://pioneeringwomen.bwaf.org/patricia-weston-swan |website=Pioneering Women in Architecture |publisher=Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation |access-date=14 February 2022}}</ref> |
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When Julia Murphy, AIA joined SOM in 2008 there were no women partners and only a handful of directors. To attempt to address this imbalance, in 2010 she relaunched the Women's Initiative at SOM which had previously been active between 2002 and 2004.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Dickinson |first1=Elizabeth |title=Best Practices: Closing the Gender Gap |url=https://www.architectmagazine.com/practice/best-practices/best-practices-closing-the-gender-gap_o |website=Architect |publisher=The Journal of the American Institute of Architects |access-date=14 February 2022 |date=16 April 2015}}</ref> |
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The year 2020 marked a change in which three female partners, Carrie Byles, Xuan Fu, and Laura Ettelman were named to the executive committee of the 1250-person firm.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Stephens |first1=Suzanne |title=Women Take Charge at SOM |url=https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/14589-women-take-charge-at-som |publisher=Architectural Record |access-date=14 February 2022 |date=1 May 2020}}</ref> |
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==SOM Foundation== |
==SOM Foundation== |
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{{Unreferenced section|date=October 2023}} |
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The [[SOM Foundation]] was first established in 1979 with the mission to support and cultivate emerging design leaders by granting awards to outstanding students of architecture, design, urban design, and engineering. Many winners of SOM Foundation awards have gone on to distinguish themselves in professional and academic careers. |
The [[SOM Foundation]] was first established in 1979 with the mission to support and cultivate emerging design leaders by granting awards to outstanding students of architecture, design, urban design, and engineering. Many winners of SOM Foundation awards have gone on to distinguish themselves in professional and academic careers. Past winners include Marion Weiss (1982), [[Werner Sobek]] (1983), [[Himanshu Parikh]] (1985), [[Santiago Calatrava]] (1988), and [[Joshua Ramus]] (1995). The SOM Foundation continues to support emerging design leaders and interdisciplinary research with five annual awards granted to students from the United States, the United Kingdom, and China. |
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==Awards== |
==Awards== |
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Throughout its history, SOM has been recognized with more than 2000 awards for quality and innovation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.som.com/content.cfm/architect_magazine_names_som_number_one_firm|title=Architect Magazine Names SOM |
Throughout its history, SOM has been recognized with more than 2000 awards for quality and innovation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.som.com/content.cfm/architect_magazine_names_som_number_one_firm|title=Architect Magazine Names SOM Its Number One Architecture Firm in the United States|date=May 2010|publisher=SOM.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120613184050/http://www.som.com/content.cfm/architect_magazine_names_som_number_one_firm|archive-date=June 13, 2012}}</ref> In November 1990, SOM was placed on the cover of Interior Design Magazine for The Top Ten, Winner Of IBA. In 1996 and 1962, SOM received the [[Architecture Firm Award]]<ref>List of AIA Firm Award Recipients http://www.aia.org/practicing/awards/AIAS075259 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160415153911/http://www.aia.org/practicing/awards/AIAS075259 |date=April 15, 2016}}</ref> from the [[American Institute of Architects]], which recognizes the design work of an entire firm. SOM is the only firm to have received this honor twice. In August 2009 SOM received four of 13 available R+D Awards from Architect Magazine.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.architectmagazine.com/green-technology/sustainable-form-inclusion-system.aspx|title=Third Annual R+D Awards: Sustainable Form-Inclusion System|work=Architect Magazine|date=August 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.architectmagazine.com/green-technology/oasis-generator.aspx|title=Third Annual R+D Awards: Oasis Generator|work=Architect Magazine|date=August 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.architectmagazine.com/technology/pin-fuse-joint.aspx|title=Third Annual R+D Awards: Pin-Fuse Joint|work=Architect Magazine|date=August 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.architectmagazine.com/planning/san-francisco-digital-context-analysis-model.aspx|title=Third Annual R+D Awards: San Francisco Digital Context Analysis Model|work=Architect Magazine|date=August 2009}}</ref> In addition, a collaboration between SOM and [[Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute]], The [[Center for Architecture, Science and Ecology]], was honored with a fifth award.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.architectmagazine.com/green-technology/active-phytoremediation-wall-system.aspx|title=Third Annual R+D Awards: Active Phytoremediation Wall System|work=Architect Magazine|date=August 2009}}</ref> |
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== Disciplines == |
== Disciplines == |
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=== Urban design and planning === |
=== Urban design and planning === |
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Since the firm's founding, SOM has led large |
Since the firm's founding, SOM has led large-scale urban design and planning projects. Many of these projects have had a lasting role in the development of cities and urban areas in America and the world, including London, Chicago, New York City, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Denver, and Portland, Oregon. SOM's City Design practice has made influential contributions to urban design approaches such as [[transit-oriented development]], overbuild strategies and [[sustainable urbanism]]. |
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In 1942, SOM was hired by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for a highly confidential project: the planning of [[Oak Ridge, Tennessee]]. By 1945, the town was home to 75,000 people. The work at Oak Ridge prepared SOM to take on the large-scale architectural and planning projects that would define the postwar era. |
In 1942, SOM was hired by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for a highly confidential project: the planning of [[Oak Ridge, Tennessee]]. By 1945, the town was home to 75,000 people. The work at Oak Ridge prepared SOM to take on the large-scale architectural and planning projects that would define the postwar era. |
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For more than 20 years, SOM was involved in the development of a master plan for the [[National Mall]] in Washington, D.C. In 1962, President [[John F. Kennedy]] appointed Nathaniel Owings as chair of the Pennsylvania Avenue redesign council, and the resulting 1966 Washington Mall Master Plan laid the framework for a dynamic, inviting, and pedestrian-friendly place. A second master plan developed in 1973, envisioned the construction of major cultural facilities, including the [[National Air and Space Museum]], the [[Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden]], and the [[National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden]]. |
For more than 20 years, SOM was involved in the development of a master plan for the [[National Mall]] in Washington, D.C. In 1962, President [[John F. Kennedy]] appointed Nathaniel Owings as chair of the Pennsylvania Avenue redesign council, and the resulting 1966 Washington Mall Master Plan laid the framework for a dynamic, inviting, and pedestrian-friendly place. A second master plan developed in 1973, envisioned the construction of major cultural facilities, including the [[National Air and Space Museum]], the [[Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden]], and the [[National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden]]. |
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In Baltimore in the 1960s, SOM played a pivotal role in preventing the destruction of the city's historic districts and [[Inner Harbor]] to make way for the planned construction of an elevated highway. As the chair of a team to develop an alternate plan, Nathaniel Owings convinced the Federal Highway Administration to sign off on a plan to reroute the highway. It eventually built around the harbor and the historic [[Federal Hill, Baltimore|Federal Hill]] district, saving these irreplaceable neighborhoods. |
In Baltimore in the 1960s, SOM played a pivotal role in preventing the destruction of the city's historic districts and [[Inner Harbor]] to make way for the planned construction of an elevated highway. As the chair of a team to develop an alternate plan, Nathaniel Owings convinced the Federal Highway Administration to sign off on a plan to reroute the highway. It was eventually built around the harbor and the historic [[Federal Hill, Baltimore|Federal Hill]] district, saving these irreplaceable neighborhoods. |
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In the 1970s, SOM collaborated with landscape architect [[Lawrence Halprin]] to plan and design the [[Portland Transit Mall]]. The goals were to revitalize the Oregon city's downtown area, to encourage the use of mass transit, and create walkable streets. The Transit Mall helped to change the perception of downtown Portland. As one of the first projects of its kind in the United States, it helped to usher in an era of streetscape design that prioritizes people. Another important commission in the 1970s was as the lead design firm for the [[Boston Transportation Planning Review]], a metropolitan |
In the 1970s, SOM collaborated with landscape architect [[Lawrence Halprin]] to plan and design the [[Portland Transit Mall]]. The goals were to revitalize the Oregon city's downtown area, to encourage the use of mass transit, and create walkable streets. The Transit Mall helped to change the perception of downtown Portland. As one of the first projects of its kind in the United States, it helped to usher in an era of streetscape design that prioritizes people. Another important commission in the 1970s was as the lead design firm for the [[Boston Transportation Planning Review]], a metropolitan-wide re-design of Boston's entire transit and roadway infrastructure. |
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Beginning in the 1980s, SOM planned the design and construction of [[Canary Wharf]] in London. Intended to accommodate a flourishing financial sector and revitalize London's former Docklands, the plan included more than 20 building sites and a host of public spaces and amenities. The plan also provided for a robust transportation network including a light rail station that connects to the [[London Underground]]. The massive scale of the project led to the opening of SOM's London office in 1986. The firm's work at Canary Wharf continued into the new millennium, with the completion of |
Beginning in the 1980s, SOM planned the design and construction of [[Canary Wharf]] in London. Intended to accommodate a flourishing financial sector and revitalize London's former Docklands, the plan included more than 20 building sites and a host of public spaces and amenities. The plan also provided for a robust transportation network including a light rail station that connects to the [[London Underground]]. The massive scale of the project led to the opening of SOM's London office in 1986. The firm's work at Canary Wharf continued into the new millennium, with the completion of Five Canada Square in 2002. |
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In central London, the opportunity to build above rail lines near Liverpool Street Station spurred the construction of [[Broadgate]], a new business district. SOM devised the master plan, and over three decades |
In central London, the opportunity to build above rail lines near Liverpool Street Station spurred the construction of [[Broadgate]], a new business district. SOM devised the master plan, and over three decades designed several of the site's 14 buildings. In order to build high-rise structures atop one of the city's busiest stations and its railyard, SOM's structural engineering team devised a deck over the tracks to allow for various building configurations on top. Exchange House, completed in 1990, is a building that acts as a bridge spanning the tracks. In 2008, Broadgate Tower, the district's tallest building, was completed. SOM also designed public space enhancements for the area. |
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SOM designed the master plan for Chicago's [[Millennium Park]], which opened in 2004 and has become one of the city's most visited attractions. Constructed above bus lanes, parking garages, and a rail yard, Millennium Park can be considered the world's largest roof garden. Below the great lawn, two new levels of parking were built, bus stops were added, and rail stations were renovated and expanded, including [[Millennium Station]]. The project revitalized a formerly blighted downtown site and marked the completion of Chicago planner [[Daniel Burnham]] |
SOM designed the master plan for Chicago's [[Millennium Park]], which opened in 2004 and has become one of the city's most visited attractions. Constructed above bus lanes, parking garages, and a rail yard, Millennium Park can be considered the world's largest roof garden. Below the great lawn, two new levels of parking were built, bus stops were added, and rail stations were renovated and expanded, including [[Millennium Station]]. The project revitalized a formerly blighted downtown site and marked the completion of Chicago planner [[Daniel Burnham]]'s 100-year vision for the area. |
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In Denver, SOM was commissioned to expand and transform the city's historic [[Denver Union Station|Union Station]] into a major regional hub. 20 acres of former rail yards have been converted into a transit-oriented urban district that orchestrates light rail, pedestrian, bicycle, and bus routes, as well as commuter and intercity rail. Completed in 2014, the project has spurred more than $3.5 billion worth of private investment in the surrounding district.<ref>https://www.rtd-denver.com/projects/union-station-tod-project.</ref> |
In Denver, SOM was commissioned to expand and transform the city's historic [[Denver Union Station|Union Station]] into a major regional hub. 20 acres of former rail yards have been converted into a transit-oriented urban district that orchestrates light rail, pedestrian, bicycle, and bus routes, as well as commuter and intercity rail. Completed in 2014, the project has spurred more than $3.5 billion worth of private investment in the surrounding district.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rtd-denver.com/projects/union-station-tod-project. |title=Union Station TOD Project | RTD – Denver|website=www.rtd-denver.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191220013522/https://www.rtd-denver.com/projects/union-station-tod-project |archive-date=December 20, 2019}}</ref> |
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===Structural engineering=== |
===Structural engineering=== |
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===Interior design=== |
===Interior design=== |
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[[Davis Allen]], a pioneer in corporate [[interior design]], had a forty-year tenure at SOM.<ref>Pace, Eric. [https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A05EFDF1431F930A15756C0A96F958260 "Davis Allen, 82, a Designer Of Modern Business Interiors,"] ''New York Times.'' May 23, 1999.</ref> The designer of the iconic Andover chair, Allen was an institution in "the profession he helped to establish—the total design of the interior corporate environment with furniture, art, and functional and decorative objects integrated into a comprehensively planned space. |
[[Davis Allen]], a pioneer in corporate [[interior design]], had a forty-year tenure at SOM.<ref>Pace, Eric. [https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A05EFDF1431F930A15756C0A96F958260 "Davis Allen, 82, a Designer Of Modern Business Interiors,"] ''New York Times.'' May 23, 1999.</ref> The designer of the iconic Andover chair, Allen was an institution in "the profession he helped to establish—the total design of the interior corporate environment with furniture, art, and functional and decorative objects integrated into a comprehensively planned space."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1999-05-24-9905240089-story.html|title=Interior Architect Davis Allen, 82|first=New York Times News|last=Service|website=chicagotribune.com|date=May 24, 1999}}</ref> |
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==Notable projects== |
==Notable projects== |
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{{further|List of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill buildings}} |
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[[File: |
[[File:Lever House 390 Park Avenue.jpg|thumb|right|upright=.8|[[Lever House]], New York City (1952)]] |
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[[File:Memorial Coliseum wide view from north, 2013.jpg|thumb|right|upright=.8|[[Veterans Memorial Coliseum (Portland, Oregon)|Veterans Memorial Coliseum]], Portland, Oregon (1960)]] |
[[File:Memorial Coliseum wide view from north, 2013.jpg|thumb|right|upright=.8|[[Veterans Memorial Coliseum (Portland, Oregon)|Veterans Memorial Coliseum]], Portland, Oregon (1960)]] |
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[[File:John Hancock Center 2019.jpg|thumb|right|upright=.8|[[John Hancock Center]], Chicago (1969)]] |
[[File:John Hancock Center 2019.jpg|thumb|right|upright=.8|[[John Hancock Center]], Chicago (1969)]] |
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[[File:Uris Hall and cyclist.jpg|thumb|right|upright=.8|Uris Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York (1972)]] |
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[[File:Willis Tower From Lake.jpg|thumb|right|upright=.8|[[Willis Tower]], Chicago (1974)]] |
[[File:Willis Tower From Lake.jpg|thumb|right|upright=.8|[[Willis Tower]], Chicago (1974)]] |
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[[File:Rowes Wharf, Boston, MA - 4.JPG|thumb|right|upright=.8|[[Rowes Wharf]], Boston (1987)]] |
[[File:Rowes Wharf, Boston, MA - 4.JPG|thumb|right|upright=.8|[[Rowes Wharf]], Boston (1987)]] |
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[[File:Burj Khalifa.jpg|thumb|right|upright=.8|[[Burj Khalifa]], Dubai ( |
[[File:Burj Khalifa.jpg|thumb|right|upright=.8|[[Burj Khalifa]], Dubai (2010)]] |
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* [[Milan Olympic Village]], [[Milan]], Italy (ongoing) |
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* [[Newark Liberty International Airport]], Newark, New Jersey (ongoing) |
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* [[Karlatornet]], [[Gothenburg]], Sweden (ongoing) (clear 2024) |
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* [[Shandong IFC|Greenland Shandong International Financial Center]], [[Jinan]], China (ongoing) |
* [[Shandong IFC|Greenland Shandong International Financial Center]], [[Jinan]], China (ongoing) |
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* [[ |
* [[Belgrade Tower]], [[Belgrade]], Serbia 2023 |
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* |
* [[Busan Lotte Town Tower]], [[Busan]], South Korea (ongoing) |
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* [[ |
* [[One Bangkok]], [[Bangkok]], Thailand (ongoing) |
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* [[Greenland Center, Xi'an|Greenland Centre]], [[Xi'an]], China (ongoing) |
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* [[Burj Jumeirah]], [[Dubai]], [[United Arab Emirates]] (ongoing) |
* [[Burj Jumeirah]], [[Dubai]], [[United Arab Emirates]] (ongoing) |
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* [[Taipei Twin Towers]], [[Taipei]], |
* [[Taipei Twin Towers]], [[Taipei]], Taiwan (ongoing) |
||
* [https://www.architectmagazine.com/technology/skidmore-owings-merrill-proposes-a-moon-village-for-permanent-lunar-settlement_o Moon Village] (in partnership with [[European Space Agency]] and [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] – ongoing) |
|||
⚫ | |||
* [[Moynihan Train Hall]], New York City, 2020 |
* [[Moynihan Train Hall]], New York City, 2020 |
||
* [[United Nations Office at Geneva]], renovation, 2020 |
* [[United Nations Office at Geneva]], renovation, 2020 |
||
* [[Haeundae LCT The Sharp]], Busan, South Korea, 2019 |
|||
* The Walt Disney Company, New York City headquarters (ongoing) |
|||
* Shenzhen Rural Commercial Bank Headquarters, Shenzhen, China, 2019 |
|||
* [[Guoco Tower]], Singapore, 2018 |
* [[Guoco Tower]], Singapore, 2018 |
||
* [[Manhattan Loft Gardens|The Stratford / Manhattan Loft Gardens]], London, England, 2018 |
* [[Manhattan Loft Gardens|The Stratford / Manhattan Loft Gardens]], London, England, 2018 |
||
* Bio-Esfera, Guadalajara, Mexico, 2018 |
|||
* [[Barnard College]], The Milstein Center, New York City, 2018 |
* [[Barnard College]], The Milstein Center, New York City, 2018 |
||
* [[University of Connecticut]], Innovation Partnership Building, Storrs, Connecticut, 2018 |
* [[University of Connecticut]], Innovation Partnership Building, Storrs, Connecticut, 2018 |
||
* [[NATO Headquarters]], Brussels, Belgium, 2017 |
* [[NATO Headquarters]], Brussels, Belgium, 2017 |
||
* Detroit East Riverfront Framework Plan, Detroit, Michigan, 2017 |
|||
* [[Cornell Tech]] Master Plan, New York City, |
* [[Cornell Tech]] Master Plan, New York City, |
||
* [[Chronicle Tower]], London, 2016 |
* [[Chronicle Tower]], London, 2016 |
||
* [[U.S. Air Force Academy]], Center for Character and Leadership Development, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 2016 |
* [[U.S. Air Force Academy]], Center for Character and Leadership Development, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 2016 |
||
* Ningbo Bank of China Headquarters, Ningbo, China, 2016 |
|||
* Public Safety Answering Center II, Bronx, New York, 2016 |
|||
* Poly International Plaza, Beijing, China, 2016 |
|||
* Superior Court of California, San Diego, 2016 |
|||
* New U.S. Courthouse, Los Angeles, 2016 |
|||
* The Strand, [[American Conservatory Theater]] (A.C.T.), San Francisco, 2016 |
|||
* BBVA Bancomer Operations Center, Mexico City, Mexico, 2015 |
|||
* [[Chicago Public Library]], Chinatown Branch, Chicago, Illinois, 2015 |
* [[Chicago Public Library]], Chinatown Branch, Chicago, Illinois, 2015 |
||
* [[350 Mission Street]], San Francisco, 2015 |
* [[350 Mission Street]], San Francisco, 2015 |
||
* JTI Headquarters, Geneva, Switzerland, 2015 |
|||
* AMIE 1.0, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, 2015 |
|||
* [[One World Trade Center]], New York City, 2014 |
* [[One World Trade Center]], New York City, 2014 |
||
* [[Denver Union Station]], Denver, Colorado, 2014 |
* [[Denver Union Station]], Denver, Colorado, 2014 |
||
* [[Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj |
* [[Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport]] – Terminal 2, Mumbai, India, 2014 |
||
* [[Cayan Tower]] – Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 2013 |
* [[Cayan Tower]] – Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 2013 |
||
* [[University Center (The New School)|University Center]], [[The New School]], New York City, 2013 |
* [[University Center (The New School)|University Center]], [[The New School]], New York City, 2013 |
||
Line 145: | Line 148: | ||
* [[John Jay College of Criminal Justice]], New York City, 2011 |
* [[John Jay College of Criminal Justice]], New York City, 2011 |
||
* [[Burj Khalifa]], Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 2010 |
* [[Burj Khalifa]], Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 2010 |
||
* [[ |
* [[Zifeng Tower]], Nanjing, China, 2010 |
||
* [[Smithsonian National Museum of American History]], Washington, D.C., 2008 |
|||
* [[ |
* [[Cathedral of Christ the Light]], Oakland, California, 2008 |
||
* [[ |
* [[U.S. Embassy, Beijing]], China, 2008 |
||
* [[Toronto Pearson International Airport]], Terminal 1, 2008 |
* [[Toronto Pearson International Airport]], [[Toronto Pearson International Airport#Terminal 1|Terminal 1]], 2008 |
||
⚫ | |||
* 201 Bishopsgate and Broadgate Tower, London, 2008 |
|||
⚫ | |||
* [[United States Census Bureau|U.S. Census Bureau]] Headquarters, Suitland, Maryland, 2007 |
|||
* [[Tokyo Midtown]], Tokyo, Japan, 2007 |
* [[Tokyo Midtown]], Tokyo, Japan, 2007 |
||
⚫ | |||
* [[Harvard University]], Northwest Science Building, Cambridge Massachusetts, 2007 |
|||
* [[ |
* [[Time Warner Center]], New York City, 2004 |
||
⚫ | |||
* [[Chongming Island]] Master Plan, Shanghai, China, 2004 |
* [[Chongming Island]] Master Plan, Shanghai, China, 2004 |
||
* [[Greenwich Academy]], Upper School, Greenwich, Connecticut, 2002 |
* [[Greenwich Academy]], Upper School, Greenwich, Connecticut, 2002 |
||
* [[Millennium Park]] Master Plan, Chicago, 2002 |
* [[Millennium Park]] Master Plan, Chicago, 2002 |
||
* [[ |
* [[383 Madison Avenue]], New York City, 2002 |
||
* [[ |
* [[Ben Gurion International Airport]], Tel Aviv, Israel, 2002 |
||
* [[John F. Kennedy International Airport]], [[John F. Kennedy International Airport#Terminal 4|International Arrivals Building, Terminal 4]], New York City, 2001 |
|||
* [[San Francisco International Airport]], International Terminal, San Francisco, 2000 |
* [[San Francisco International Airport]], International Terminal, San Francisco, 2000 |
||
* [[Altice Arena]] (formerly Pavilhão Atlântico) Lisbon, Portugal, 1998 |
* [[Altice Arena]] (formerly Pavilhão Atlântico) Lisbon, Portugal, 1998 |
||
*[[Jin Mao Tower]], Shanghai, 1998 |
|||
* Exchange House, Broadgate Development, London, England, 1990 |
|||
* [[1540 Broadway]], New York City, 1990 |
|||
* [[One Worldwide Plaza]], New York City, 1989 |
|||
* [[Rowes Wharf]], Boston, Massachusetts, 1986 |
* [[Rowes Wharf]], Boston, Massachusetts, 1986 |
||
* [[National Mall]] Redevelopment, Washington, D.C., 1986 |
* [[National Mall]] Redevelopment, Washington, D.C., 1986 |
||
* [[63 Building]], Seoul, South Korea, 1985 |
|||
* [[Northeast Corridor]] Improvement Project, 1985 |
* [[Northeast Corridor]] Improvement Project, 1985 |
||
* [[Demonet Building]], Washington, D.C., 1984 |
* [[Demonet Building]], Washington, D.C., 1984 |
||
* [[Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome]], Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1982<ref>[https://www.minnpost.com/minnesota-blog-cabin/2010/12/just-judy-history-design-and-holes-metrodome/ Grunstrom, Judy. "Just Judy: The history, the design and the holes in the Metrodome," ''MinnPost'' (Minneapolis, MN), Friday, December 17, 2010.] Retrieved July 1, 2022.</ref> |
|||
* National Commercial Bank, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 1984 |
|||
* [[King Abdulaziz International Airport|Hajj Terminal]], King Abdul Aziz International Airport, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 1981 |
* [[King Abdulaziz International Airport|Hajj Terminal]], King Abdul Aziz International Airport, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 1981 |
||
* [[PNC Center (Cleveland)]], Cleveland, 1980 |
|||
* [[Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall]], San Francisco, 1980 |
|||
* [[First Canadian Centre]], Calgary, Alberta, 1979 |
|||
* [[Texaco Headquarters]], White Plains, New York, 1977 |
|||
* [[Azadi Stadium]], Tehran, 1974 |
|||
* [[Willis Tower]] (formerly Sears Tower), Chicago, 1974 |
* [[Willis Tower]] (formerly Sears Tower), Chicago, 1974 |
||
* [[One Shell Plaza]], Houston, Texas, 1972 |
* [[One Shell Plaza]], Houston, Texas, 1972 |
||
* [[Seneca One Tower]], [[Buffalo, New York]], 1972 |
|||
⚫ | |||
* [[One Shell Square]], New Orleans, Louisiana, 1972 |
|||
⚫ | |||
* [[The Republic Newspaper Office|Republic Newspaper Office]] and Printing Plant, Columbus, Indiana, 1971 |
* [[The Republic Newspaper Office|Republic Newspaper Office]] and Printing Plant, Columbus, Indiana, 1971 |
||
* [[John Hancock Center]], Chicago, 1970 |
* [[John Hancock Center]], Chicago, 1970 |
||
⚫ | |||
* [[140 Broadway]], New York City, 1967 |
* [[140 Broadway]], New York City, 1967 |
||
* [[Oakland Arena]], Oakland, California, 1966<ref name="westcoastwoowoo">[https://www.som.com/projects/oakland-alameda-county-coliseum/ Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum – Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.] Retrieved July 1, 2022.</ref> |
|||
* [[Radiation Research Building]], [[University of Notre Dame]], 1963 |
|||
⚫ | |||
* [[Banque Lambert]], Brussels, Belgium, 1964 |
* [[Banque Lambert]], Brussels, Belgium, 1964 |
||
* [[Cook County Administration Building]] (formerly the Brunswick Building), Chicago, 1964 |
|||
* Lake Meadows Residential Community, Chicago, 1963 |
|||
* [[ |
* [[Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library]], Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, 1963 |
||
* [[ |
* [[Albright-Knox Art Gallery]], Extension, [[Buffalo, New York]], 1962 |
||
* [[United States Air Force Academy]], Colorado Springs, Colorado, 1962 |
* [[United States Air Force Academy]], Colorado Springs, Colorado, 1962 |
||
* [[28 Liberty Street]] (Chase Manhattan Bank Building), New York City, 1961 |
* [[28 Liberty Street]] (Chase Manhattan Bank Building), New York City, 1961 |
||
* [[Veterans Memorial Coliseum (Portland, Oregon)|Veterans Memorial Coliseum]], Portland, Oregon, 1960 |
* [[Veterans Memorial Coliseum (Portland, Oregon)|Veterans Memorial Coliseum]], Portland, Oregon, 1960 |
||
* [[Union Carbide Building]], New York City, 1954 |
|||
* [[500 Park Avenue]] (Pepsi-Cola Corporation World Headquarters), New York City, 1960 |
* [[500 Park Avenue]] (Pepsi-Cola Corporation World Headquarters), New York City, 1960 |
||
* John Hancock Western Home Office (Industrial Indemnity Building), San Francisco, 1959 |
|||
* United Airlines Hangar and Wash Hangar, San Francisco, 1958 |
|||
* [[Inland Steel Building]], Chicago, 1958 |
* [[Inland Steel Building]], Chicago, 1958 |
||
* [[Connecticut General Life Insurance Company Headquarters|Connecticut General Life Insurance Company]], Bloomfield, Connecticut, 1957 |
* [[Connecticut General Life Insurance Company Headquarters|Connecticut General Life Insurance Company]], Bloomfield, Connecticut, 1957 |
||
Line 198: | Line 209: | ||
==References== |
==References== |
||
{{ |
{{reflist}} |
||
==External links== |
==External links== |
||
Line 205: | Line 216: | ||
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20051029121034/http://www.waltlockley.com/trust/trust.htm Review of the 1954 Manufacturer's Hanover Trust Branch Bank in NYC] |
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20051029121034/http://www.waltlockley.com/trust/trust.htm Review of the 1954 Manufacturer's Hanover Trust Branch Bank in NYC] |
||
* [http://www.arti-fact.com/architect/map/709/Skidmore-Owings-Merrill Skidmore, Owings & Merrill Architecture on Google Maps] |
* [http://www.arti-fact.com/architect/map/709/Skidmore-Owings-Merrill Skidmore, Owings & Merrill Architecture on Google Maps] |
||
* [http://findingaids.cul.columbia.edu/ead/nnc-a/ldpd_6702954/summary Skidmore, Owings & Merrill photographs, circa |
* [http://findingaids.cul.columbia.edu/ead/nnc-a/ldpd_6702954/summary Skidmore, Owings & Merrill photographs, circa 1945–1969 Held in the Dept. of Drawings & Archives, Avery Architectural & Fine Arts Library, Columbia University, New York City] |
||
{{Authority control}} |
{{Authority control}} |
Latest revision as of 14:12, 20 September 2024
This article contains promotional content. (October 2023) |
Company type | Private |
---|---|
Industry | Professional services |
Founded | 1936Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | , in
Founders | |
Headquarters | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Mustafa Abadan, William F. Baker, Thomas Behr, Keith Boswell, Carrie Byles, Larry Chien, Leo Chow, Brant Coletta, Chris Cooper, Paul Danna, Mark Sarkisian, Michael Duncan, Scott Duncan, Laura Ettelman, Xuan Fu, T.J. Gottesdiener, Gary Haney, Craig Hartman, Kent Jackson, Colin Koop, Kenneth Lewis, Adam Semel, Jonathan Stein, Douglas Voigt |
Services | Architecture, building services/MEP engineering, graphics, interior design, structural engineering, civil engineering, sustainable design and urban design & planning |
Revenue | $347 million (2021) |
Website | www |
SOM, previously Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, is a Chicago-based architectural, urban planning, and engineering firm. It was founded in 1936 by Louis Skidmore and Nathaniel Owings. In 1939, they were joined by engineer John O. Merrill. The firm opened its second office, in New York City, in 1937 and has since expanded, with offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., London, Melbourne, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Seattle, and Dubai.
The firm's notable current work includes the new headquarters for The Walt Disney Company,[1] the global headquarters for Citigroup,[2] Moynihan Train Hall and the expanded Penn Station complex,[3] and the restoration and renovation of the Waldorf Astoria in New York City;[4] airport projects at O'Hare International Airport,[5] Kansas City International Airport,[6] and Kempegowda International Airport; urban master plans for the Charenton-Bercy district in Paris, New Covent Garden in London, Treasure Island in San Francisco, the East Riverfront in Detroit; P.S. 62, the first net-zero-energy school in New York City;[7] and the design of the Moon Village, a concept for the first permanent lunar settlement, developed with the European Space Agency and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.[8] Notable for its role as a pioneer of modernist architecture in America and for its groundbreaking work in skyscraper design and construction, SOM has designed some of the world's most significant architectural and urban projects including several of the tallest buildings in the world: John Hancock Center (1969, second tallest in the world when built), Willis Tower (1973, tallest in the world for over twenty years), One World Trade Center (2014, currently the seventh tallest in the world), and Burj Khalifa (2010, currently the world's tallest building).[9]
SOM's multidisciplinary practice works across a range of scales and project types, providing services in architecture, building services/MEP engineering, digital design, graphics, interior design, structural engineering, civil engineering, sustainable design and urban design & planning.[10]
History
[edit]20th century
[edit]The firm's first influential project was Lever House, completed in 1952 to become the first International Style office building in New York City. Constructed of glass and steel at a time when Park Avenue was lined with masonry buildings, Lever House introduced a modernist aesthetic that embodied the spirit of the times and influenced an entire generation of high-rise construction.
In 1962, architectural historian Reyner Banham wrote that, "It gave architectural expression to an age just as the age was being born ... Lever House was an uncontrollable success, imitated and sometimes understood all over the Americanized world, and one of the sights of New York".[11]
In the 1970s, SOM pioneered a new era of skyscraper design with its work in Chicago, including the John Hancock Center (completed 1970) and Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower), which became the world's tallest structure upon its completion in 1973 and remained so for more than 20 years. Both towers are the result of collaboration between architect Bruce Graham and engineer Fazlur Rahman Khan, who is often considered to be the greatest structural engineer of the 20th century.[weasel words] Khan invented a tubular framing system that made it possible to build higher than ever before. This system has been adapted and is still used today for some of the world's most recent tallest buildings, including the 828-meter-tall Burj Khalifa, designed by SOM and completed in 2010.
In the 1960s and 1970s, SOM was an early leader in computer-aided design, developing in-house digital tools that preceded the CAD systems used widely today. This work quickly proved valuable in the generation of structural analysis tools that were embraced by Fazlur Khan and his engineering team, aiding the design of projects such as the John Hancock Center.
The activity of an experimental research group at SOM, known as the Computer Group, exemplifies a particularly productive effort within the firm to incorporate technological research into its practice. Through the 1970s and 1980s, members of the relatively small, dedicated group pushed to integrate the computer's enhanced data-storing and analytical abilities into various phases of the design process. Through these initiatives, SOM was able to identify the potential of the computer to not only expedite necessary calculations but also introduce new ways of representing and sharing information. Just as structural engineering came to be seen early on at SOM as a means of generating rather than simply realizing architectural ideas, with concerted effort, computers gained credence at the firm, and eventually throughout the industry, as a catalyst for architectural innovation.
In 1980, an in-house team at SOM created Architecture Engineering Systems, a computer program that was used to study complex structural systems and energy demands.[12] This program is regarded as a precursor to the array of building information modeling (BIM) tools now used by the profession.[citation needed]
SOM's projects have featured works of art by significant artists. In many cases, the firm's architects and engineers played a role in commissioning, engineering, and installing the artworks—such as with the Chicago Picasso, a 50-foot-tall steel sculpture in the city's civic center. Joan Miró, Alexander Calder, Isamu Noguchi, Harry Bertoia, Richard Lippold, Jean Dubuffet and Chryssa are among the artists whose work has been a part of SOM projects. More recently, SOM's architects and engineers have collaborated with artists such as James Turrell, Janet Echelman, Iñigo Manglano–Ovalle, James Carpenter, and Jaume Plensa.
In 1953, the firm completed the Manufacturers Trust Company Building in New York City, the first international style bank building in the United States,[13] Seven years later, in 1960, the firm completed Pepsi-Cola World Headquarters.[14] In 1961, the firm completed One Chase Manhattan Plaza, which is now 28 Liberty Street, the first International Style building to rise in New York City's Financial District.[15] The 28 Liberty Street project helped reverse an exodus of corporate clients from Lower Manhattan to Midtown Manhattan and the suburbs.[16] SOM's design for 28 Liberty Street also created a plaza surrounding the tower, a novel concept that would be adapted in many future projects.[17]
In Colorado Springs, Colorado, SOM planned a campus for the United States Air Force Academy. Built between 1958 and 1968, the campus broke from the traditions of West Point and Annapolis to become the first U.S. military academy designed in the modern style.[18] The centerpiece of the campus is the Cadet Chapel, designed by architect Walter Netsch. The American Institute of Architects awarded the building with its prestigious Twenty-five Year Award, conferred onto "a building that has set a precedent for the last 25 to 35 years and continues to set standards of excellence for its architectural design and significance" .[19]
In 1969, SOM founder Nathaniel Owings wrote, "Civilizations leave marks on the Earth by which they are known and judged. In large measure, the nature of their immortality is gauged by how well their builders made peace with the environment." (source: Nathaniel Owings, "The American Aesthetic," Harper & Row, 1969) This ethos has shaped the firm's journey into sustainable practices. An early example is the corporate headquarters it designed for timberland company Weyerhaeuser, completed in 1971, which has been called the "original green building" not only for its integration into the surrounding landscape, but also for its use of efficient building systems.
21st century
[edit]In 2007, the firm completed a large-scale sustainable architecture project for the U.S. Census Bureau, the first federal office building to receive LEED certification. Like Weyerhaeuser, the design of the campus works in concert with its natural surroundings and incorporates a range of design strategies to reduce its environmental impact.
In 2015, SOM completed the first net-zero-energy school building in New York City and one of the first worldwide. The Kathleen Grimm School for Leadership and Sustainability at Sandy Ground, Staten Island,[20] has been awarded for its sustainability performance by organizations, including the American Institute of Architects, the Municipal Art Society, and the Urban Land Institute. SOM has been recognized for its research and experimentation with new energy-saving and carbon-reducing technologies, inckuding a timber tower[21] and a modified concrete slab design.[22]
People
[edit]SOM is structured as a partnership. The current partners and consulting partners are: Mustafa Abadan, William Baker, Thomas Behr, Keith Boswell, Carrie Byles, Larry Chien, Leo Chow, Brant Coletta, Chris Cooper, Paul Danna, Michael Duncan, Scott Duncan, Laura Ettelman, Xuan Fu, T.J. Gottesdiener, Gary Haney, Craig Hartman, Kent Jackson, Colin Koop, Kenneth Lewis, Mark Sarkisian, Adam Semel, Jonathan Stein, and Douglas Voigt.
Founders and notable architects
[edit]Gordon Bunshaft, who thrived as a design leader at SOM for more than 40 years, received the profession's highest honor, the Pritzker Architecture Prize, in 1988. Notable architects who are associated with SOM include: T. J. Gottesdiener, Edward Charles Bassett,[23] Natalie de Blois,[24][25] Gordon Bunshaft,[26][27] David Childs,[28][29] Robert Diamant,[30] Philip Enquist, Myron Goldsmith,[31][32] Bruce Graham,[33][34] Gary Haney, Craig W. Hartman,[35] Gertrude Kerbis,[36] Fazlur Rahman Khan.[37] Lucien Lagrange,[38] Walter Netsch,[39][40] Larry Oltmanns,[41] Eszter Pécsi,[42] Brigitte Peterhans,[43][44] Norma Merrick Sklarek, Adrian Smith,[45] and Marilyn Jordan Taylor[46]
Women at SOM
[edit]Architect Sally Harkness, a founding partner at The Architects Collaborative in 1947, was interviewed at the firm during World War II along with her husband Chip Harkness, but only her husband received a job offer. In an interview later in life, Sally Harkness explained that she was told the firm did not believe in hiring women.[47] Norma Merrick Sklarek, an African-American, was hired by SOM in 1955 after having been previously rejected by 19 other firms. She stayed there for 5 years, eventually starting her own firm.[48] Patricia Weston Swan spent her 30-year career with SOM including many leadership roles but never achieved partner status, perceived by a colleague in the Denver officer as evidence of the "glass ceiling" that was in place at that time at SOM[49]
When Julia Murphy, AIA joined SOM in 2008 there were no women partners and only a handful of directors. To attempt to address this imbalance, in 2010 she relaunched the Women's Initiative at SOM which had previously been active between 2002 and 2004.[50]
The year 2020 marked a change in which three female partners, Carrie Byles, Xuan Fu, and Laura Ettelman were named to the executive committee of the 1250-person firm.[51]
SOM Foundation
[edit]The SOM Foundation was first established in 1979 with the mission to support and cultivate emerging design leaders by granting awards to outstanding students of architecture, design, urban design, and engineering. Many winners of SOM Foundation awards have gone on to distinguish themselves in professional and academic careers. Past winners include Marion Weiss (1982), Werner Sobek (1983), Himanshu Parikh (1985), Santiago Calatrava (1988), and Joshua Ramus (1995). The SOM Foundation continues to support emerging design leaders and interdisciplinary research with five annual awards granted to students from the United States, the United Kingdom, and China.
Awards
[edit]Throughout its history, SOM has been recognized with more than 2000 awards for quality and innovation.[52] In November 1990, SOM was placed on the cover of Interior Design Magazine for The Top Ten, Winner Of IBA. In 1996 and 1962, SOM received the Architecture Firm Award[53] from the American Institute of Architects, which recognizes the design work of an entire firm. SOM is the only firm to have received this honor twice. In August 2009 SOM received four of 13 available R+D Awards from Architect Magazine.[54][55][56][57] In addition, a collaboration between SOM and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, The Center for Architecture, Science and Ecology, was honored with a fifth award.[58]
Disciplines
[edit]Urban design and planning
[edit]Since the firm's founding, SOM has led large-scale urban design and planning projects. Many of these projects have had a lasting role in the development of cities and urban areas in America and the world, including London, Chicago, New York City, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Denver, and Portland, Oregon. SOM's City Design practice has made influential contributions to urban design approaches such as transit-oriented development, overbuild strategies and sustainable urbanism. In 1942, SOM was hired by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for a highly confidential project: the planning of Oak Ridge, Tennessee. By 1945, the town was home to 75,000 people. The work at Oak Ridge prepared SOM to take on the large-scale architectural and planning projects that would define the postwar era.
For more than 20 years, SOM was involved in the development of a master plan for the National Mall in Washington, D.C. In 1962, President John F. Kennedy appointed Nathaniel Owings as chair of the Pennsylvania Avenue redesign council, and the resulting 1966 Washington Mall Master Plan laid the framework for a dynamic, inviting, and pedestrian-friendly place. A second master plan developed in 1973, envisioned the construction of major cultural facilities, including the National Air and Space Museum, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, and the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden. In Baltimore in the 1960s, SOM played a pivotal role in preventing the destruction of the city's historic districts and Inner Harbor to make way for the planned construction of an elevated highway. As the chair of a team to develop an alternate plan, Nathaniel Owings convinced the Federal Highway Administration to sign off on a plan to reroute the highway. It was eventually built around the harbor and the historic Federal Hill district, saving these irreplaceable neighborhoods.
In the 1970s, SOM collaborated with landscape architect Lawrence Halprin to plan and design the Portland Transit Mall. The goals were to revitalize the Oregon city's downtown area, to encourage the use of mass transit, and create walkable streets. The Transit Mall helped to change the perception of downtown Portland. As one of the first projects of its kind in the United States, it helped to usher in an era of streetscape design that prioritizes people. Another important commission in the 1970s was as the lead design firm for the Boston Transportation Planning Review, a metropolitan-wide re-design of Boston's entire transit and roadway infrastructure.
Beginning in the 1980s, SOM planned the design and construction of Canary Wharf in London. Intended to accommodate a flourishing financial sector and revitalize London's former Docklands, the plan included more than 20 building sites and a host of public spaces and amenities. The plan also provided for a robust transportation network including a light rail station that connects to the London Underground. The massive scale of the project led to the opening of SOM's London office in 1986. The firm's work at Canary Wharf continued into the new millennium, with the completion of Five Canada Square in 2002. In central London, the opportunity to build above rail lines near Liverpool Street Station spurred the construction of Broadgate, a new business district. SOM devised the master plan, and over three decades designed several of the site's 14 buildings. In order to build high-rise structures atop one of the city's busiest stations and its railyard, SOM's structural engineering team devised a deck over the tracks to allow for various building configurations on top. Exchange House, completed in 1990, is a building that acts as a bridge spanning the tracks. In 2008, Broadgate Tower, the district's tallest building, was completed. SOM also designed public space enhancements for the area.
SOM designed the master plan for Chicago's Millennium Park, which opened in 2004 and has become one of the city's most visited attractions. Constructed above bus lanes, parking garages, and a rail yard, Millennium Park can be considered the world's largest roof garden. Below the great lawn, two new levels of parking were built, bus stops were added, and rail stations were renovated and expanded, including Millennium Station. The project revitalized a formerly blighted downtown site and marked the completion of Chicago planner Daniel Burnham's 100-year vision for the area.
In Denver, SOM was commissioned to expand and transform the city's historic Union Station into a major regional hub. 20 acres of former rail yards have been converted into a transit-oriented urban district that orchestrates light rail, pedestrian, bicycle, and bus routes, as well as commuter and intercity rail. Completed in 2014, the project has spurred more than $3.5 billion worth of private investment in the surrounding district.[59]
Structural engineering
[edit]The earliest SOM engineer was John O. Merrill.[60] Fazlur Khan, another engineer at SOM, is best known for his design and construction of the Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower), and John Hancock Center and for his designs of structural systems that remain fundamental to all high-rise skyscrapers.[61] Indeed, Khan is responsible for developing the algorithms that made the Hancock building and many subsequent skyscrapers possible. Another notable SOM engineer is Bill Baker, who is best known as the engineer of Burj Khalifa (Dubai, 2010), the world's tallest man-made structure. To support the tower's record heights and slim footprint, he developed the "buttressed core"[62] structural system, consisting of a hexagonal core reinforced by three buttresses that form a Y shape.
Interior design
[edit]Davis Allen, a pioneer in corporate interior design, had a forty-year tenure at SOM.[63] The designer of the iconic Andover chair, Allen was an institution in "the profession he helped to establish—the total design of the interior corporate environment with furniture, art, and functional and decorative objects integrated into a comprehensively planned space."[64]
Notable projects
[edit]- Milan Olympic Village, Milan, Italy (ongoing)
- Newark Liberty International Airport, Newark, New Jersey (ongoing)
- Karlatornet, Gothenburg, Sweden (ongoing) (clear 2024)
- Greenland Shandong International Financial Center, Jinan, China (ongoing)
- Belgrade Tower, Belgrade, Serbia 2023
- Busan Lotte Town Tower, Busan, South Korea (ongoing)
- One Bangkok, Bangkok, Thailand (ongoing)
- Greenland Centre, Xi'an, China (ongoing)
- Burj Jumeirah, Dubai, United Arab Emirates (ongoing)
- Taipei Twin Towers, Taipei, Taiwan (ongoing)
- Moynihan Train Hall, New York City, 2020
- United Nations Office at Geneva, renovation, 2020
- Haeundae LCT The Sharp, Busan, South Korea, 2019
- Guoco Tower, Singapore, 2018
- The Stratford / Manhattan Loft Gardens, London, England, 2018
- Barnard College, The Milstein Center, New York City, 2018
- University of Connecticut, Innovation Partnership Building, Storrs, Connecticut, 2018
- NATO Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium, 2017
- Cornell Tech Master Plan, New York City,
- Chronicle Tower, London, 2016
- U.S. Air Force Academy, Center for Character and Leadership Development, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 2016
- Chicago Public Library, Chinatown Branch, Chicago, Illinois, 2015
- 350 Mission Street, San Francisco, 2015
- One World Trade Center, New York City, 2014
- Denver Union Station, Denver, Colorado, 2014
- Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport – Terminal 2, Mumbai, India, 2014
- Cayan Tower – Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 2013
- University Center, The New School, New York City, 2013
- Pearl River Tower, Guangzhou, China, 2013
- Al Hamra Tower, Kuwait City, Kuwait, 2011
- John Jay College of Criminal Justice, New York City, 2011
- Burj Khalifa, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 2010
- Zifeng Tower, Nanjing, China, 2010
- Smithsonian National Museum of American History, Washington, D.C., 2008
- Cathedral of Christ the Light, Oakland, California, 2008
- U.S. Embassy, Beijing, China, 2008
- Toronto Pearson International Airport, Terminal 1, 2008
- Changi International Airport, Terminal 3, Changi, Singapore, 2007
- Tokyo Midtown, Tokyo, Japan, 2007
- 7 World Trade Center, New York City, 2006
- Time Warner Center, New York City, 2004
- Chongming Island Master Plan, Shanghai, China, 2004
- Greenwich Academy, Upper School, Greenwich, Connecticut, 2002
- Millennium Park Master Plan, Chicago, 2002
- 383 Madison Avenue, New York City, 2002
- Ben Gurion International Airport, Tel Aviv, Israel, 2002
- John F. Kennedy International Airport, International Arrivals Building, Terminal 4, New York City, 2001
- San Francisco International Airport, International Terminal, San Francisco, 2000
- Altice Arena (formerly Pavilhão Atlântico) Lisbon, Portugal, 1998
- Jin Mao Tower, Shanghai, 1998
- 1540 Broadway, New York City, 1990
- One Worldwide Plaza, New York City, 1989
- Rowes Wharf, Boston, Massachusetts, 1986
- National Mall Redevelopment, Washington, D.C., 1986
- 63 Building, Seoul, South Korea, 1985
- Northeast Corridor Improvement Project, 1985
- Demonet Building, Washington, D.C., 1984
- Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1982[65]
- Hajj Terminal, King Abdul Aziz International Airport, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 1981
- PNC Center (Cleveland), Cleveland, 1980
- Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco, 1980
- First Canadian Centre, Calgary, Alberta, 1979
- Texaco Headquarters, White Plains, New York, 1977
- Azadi Stadium, Tehran, 1974
- Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower), Chicago, 1974
- One Shell Plaza, Houston, Texas, 1972
- Seneca One Tower, Buffalo, New York, 1972
- One Shell Square, New Orleans, Louisiana, 1972
- Weyerhaeuser Corporate Headquarters, Federal Way, Washington, 1971
- Republic Newspaper Office and Printing Plant, Columbus, Indiana, 1971
- John Hancock Center, Chicago, 1970
- 140 Broadway, New York City, 1967
- Oakland Arena, Oakland, California, 1966[66]
- Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California, 1966[66]
- Banque Lambert, Brussels, Belgium, 1964
- Cook County Administration Building (formerly the Brunswick Building), Chicago, 1964
- Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, 1963
- Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Extension, Buffalo, New York, 1962
- United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 1962
- 28 Liberty Street (Chase Manhattan Bank Building), New York City, 1961
- Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon, 1960
- Union Carbide Building, New York City, 1954
- 500 Park Avenue (Pepsi-Cola Corporation World Headquarters), New York City, 1960
- Inland Steel Building, Chicago, 1958
- Connecticut General Life Insurance Company, Bloomfield, Connecticut, 1957
- Manufacturers Trust Company Building, New York City, 1954
- Naval Station Great Lakes, Chicago, 1954
- Lever House, New York City, 1952
- Manhattan House, New York City, 1951
- Oak Ridge New Town Master Plan, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, 1949
- Terrace Plaza Hotel, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1948
References
[edit]- ^ Plitt, Amy (November 13, 2019). "First Look at Disney's SOM-Designed Hudson Square HQ". Curbed NY.
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- ^ "SOM Unveils Revised Design for $1.5 Billion Kansas City Airport Terminal". ArchDaily. September 5, 2019.
- ^ "P.S. 62 Kathleen Grimm School for Leadership and Sustainability | Architect Magazine".
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- ^ "100 Tallest Completed Buildings in the World – The Skyscraper Center". skyscrapercenter.com. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
- ^ Adams, Nicholas. "Skidmore, Owings & Merrill: The Experiment since 1936." Milan: Electa. 2006.
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- ^ "Edward Charles Bassett (1921–1999)". The Art Institute of Chicago. Archived from the original on April 17, 2012.
- ^ "Natalie De Blois Interviewed by Detlef Mertins, June 17, 2004". SOM Journal 4. Hatje Cantz. Archived from the original on April 15, 2012.
- ^ "Oral History of Natalie De Blois". The Art Institute of Chicago. Archived from the original on April 17, 2012.
- ^ "Oral History of Gordon Bunshaft (1909–1990)". The Art Institute of Chicago. Archived from the original on April 17, 2012.
- ^ "Gordon Bunshaft Interviewed by Betty J. Blum, April 4–7, 1989". SOM Journal 3. Hatje Cantz. Archived from the original on January 6, 2011.
- ^ "David Childs, SOM Architect, Presents Final Design for the Freedom Tower – June 2007". Archived from the original on February 28, 2015.
- ^ "Ground Zero's Saving Grace". May 1, 2006. Archived from the original on May 11, 2013.
- ^ "In Memory: Robert Diamant, Former SOM Partner". SOM. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
- ^ "Myron Goldsmith: Keating Hall at IIT, By Nicholas Adams". SOM Journal 5. Hatje Cantz. Archived from the original on April 24, 2012.
- ^ "Oral History of Myron Goldsmith (1918–1996)". The Art Institute of Chicago. Archived from the original on April 17, 2012.
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- ^ "Oral History of Brigitte Peterhans / Interviewed by Betty J. Blum, Compiled Under the Auspices of the Ryerson and Burnham Libraries, The Art Institute of Chicago. :: Chicago Architects Oral History Project". Digital-libraries.saic.edu. Retrieved June 14, 2013.[permanent dead link ]
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- ^ Morton, Patricia. "Norma Merrick Sklarek". Pioneering Women of American Architecture. Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
- ^ Mäkelä, Taisto H. "Patricia Weston Swan". Pioneering Women in Architecture. Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
- ^ Dickinson, Elizabeth (April 16, 2015). "Best Practices: Closing the Gender Gap". Architect. The Journal of the American Institute of Architects. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
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- ^ List of AIA Firm Award Recipients http://www.aia.org/practicing/awards/AIAS075259 Archived April 15, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Third Annual R+D Awards: Sustainable Form-Inclusion System". Architect Magazine. August 2009.
- ^ "Third Annual R+D Awards: Oasis Generator". Architect Magazine. August 2009.
- ^ "Third Annual R+D Awards: Pin-Fuse Joint". Architect Magazine. August 2009.
- ^ "Third Annual R+D Awards: San Francisco Digital Context Analysis Model". Architect Magazine. August 2009.
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- ^ "Union Station TOD Project | RTD – Denver". www.rtd-denver.com. Archived from the original on December 20, 2019.
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- ^ Ali Mir (2001), Art of the Skyscraper: the Genius of Fazlur Khan, Rizzoli International Publications, ISBN 0-8478-2370-9
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- ^ Grunstrom, Judy. "Just Judy: The history, the design and the holes in the Metrodome," MinnPost (Minneapolis, MN), Friday, December 17, 2010. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
- ^ a b Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum – Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
External links
[edit]- Official website
- Review of the 1954 Manufacturer's Hanover Trust Branch Bank in NYC
- Skidmore, Owings & Merrill Architecture on Google Maps
- Skidmore, Owings & Merrill photographs, circa 1945–1969 Held in the Dept. of Drawings & Archives, Avery Architectural & Fine Arts Library, Columbia University, New York City