Best Tall Buildings of 2016

The CTBUH may be known for arbitrating disputes on the actual heights of buildings and determining what towers can receive "tallest this" or "tallest that" designations, but the annual awards put the focus clearly on design. Therefore the winners are not always the tallest. Take the Americas: BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group's Via 57 West bested, among others, Rafael Viñoly Architect's 432 Park Avenue, even though it is shorter by nearly 1,000 feet! Via 57 West's distinctive "courtscraper" design that bends toward the sun wooed the judges toward victory.

Here is the list of the four regional winners that will compete for Best Tall Building Worldwide at the CTBUH 15th Annual Awards Symposium in Chicago in November:

• Best Tall Building Americas Winner: Via 57 West, USA, BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group
• Best Tall Building Asia & Australasia Winner: Shanghai Tower, China, Gensler
• Best Tall Building Europe Winner: The White Walls, Cyprus, Ateliers Jean Nouvel
• Best Tall Building Middle East & Africa Winner: The Cube, Lebanon, Orange Architects

In addition to the awards for tall buildings, CTBUH announced winners in four other categories:

• Urban Habitat Award Winner: Wuhan Tiandi Site A, China, SOM
• 10 Year Award Winner: Hearst Tower, USA, Foster + Partners
• Innovation Award Winner: Pin-Fuse
• Performance Award Winner: Taipei 101 Upgrade

Visit the CTBUH's awards page to learn more about the winners, read juror comments, and see the finalists in each category.