Corporate Crowns

Construction of skyscrapers is a complex and time-consuming process that requires a lot of human resources and material costs. It is therefore natural that the creation of such largescale facilities is carried out by large companies and large-scale design corporations. It is their efforts that formed the mainstream of the global high-rise building of the 20th century. Although some spectacular towers were designed by famous architects particularly as unique projects, which has recently been especially notable, most these structures appeared as a work product by project offices such as SOM, KPF, Gensler, Nikken Sekkei, MAD, NBBJ, Aedas and many others.

Among the companies that are in charge of high-rise construction there are true giants that specialize mainly in the construction of skyscrapers. Throughout the entire history of this fascinating process within the national practices there developed certain local project leaders that over the time became the real force to modernize the urban environment by means of creating high-risers. Today in Russia design and construction can be successfully performed by both design institutes that treat high-risers as one of the parts of their activities and design and development companies that dedicate most their work to high-rise construction in particular.

To date, there are unconditionally recognized leaders of the global high-rise design that outline the main trends of development of this branch of modern architecture. Some of them, initially mainly American ones, like SOM and KPF, would for decades gain experience and credibility; while others, mostly Asian, like MAD appeared relatively recently - in the new century, and extended their influence on other regions. What is the fundamental difference between the approach to design of large corporations and the similar work of the designer’s bureaus? How and who are the best among similar large-scale architectural, engineering and construction firms determined by?

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Text: Marianna Maevskaya