Nov 20 2007
Infinity Tower, designed by the Chicago office of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM), won the CNBC International Property Award for the "Best High Rise Architecture" in 2007.
Infinity Tower
The design of Infinity Tower advanced to the International Property Awards program after winning the CNBC Arabian Property Awards in the same category in October of this year and was touted as the "outright winner" in the only design category.
The CNBC awards program, now in its 13th year, distinguishes the highest levels of architectural design achievements and a range of property related fields. Awards were bestowed at a gala held at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, NV on Friday, November 16, 2007.
SOM Managing Partner, George Efstathiou, commented "A design award for Infinity Tower at this early stage is a great accomplishment in such a highly competitive arena. Infinity Tower is on the path to becoming a new landmark for Dubai. The Tower is a great example of SOM's design philosophy and utilization of innovative techniques that will come to be viewed as the epitome of 21st century architecture."
Located in the Dubai Marina development, Infinity Tower is a 73-story residential tower with a dynamic, twisting shape, waterfront views and is the first structure of its kind. The Tower's helix shape will contribute to its distinctive and visually unique physical feature. Infinity Tower's structure gradually rotates 90 degrees, while maintaining a consistent structural and architectural floor plate throughout its height. Its winding shape reveals a structure that helps shield its interior from the desert sun. The Tower's design reflects the use of a unique cast-in-place, high-strength reinforced structure that maximizes its views while preserving the views of its neighbors.
"Infinity Tower exemplifies SOM's belief that in order for a building to endure, the exterior form must be a direct expression of its structural framework. This understanding that great architecture must be more than 'skin deep' is reflected as powerfully today in Infinity Tower as it was in SOM's landmark designs such as the John Hancock Center, Sears Tower and Lever House," added Ross Wimer, SOM Design Partner for the project.
SOM was commissioned by Cayan Investment and Development for the design of Infinity Tower. The project is expected to be completed in 2010.