The CVU Awards (formerly known as Tall Building Awards or CTBUH Awards) recognizes projects and individuals who have made an extraordinary contribution to the advancement of tall buildings and urban environment, as well as achieving sustainability at the highest and broadest level. The annual awards are judged by an independent panel of experts commissioned by the Council on Vertical Urbanism (CVU), a non-profit organization headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. As of 2019, there are two individual lifetime achievement awards, The Lynn S. Beedle Lifetime Achievement Award and Fazlur Khan Lifetime Achievement Medal, and several categorical awards for projects and structures.
In 2019 the CTBUH award categories were changed from buildings in specific regions to buildings based on height, region, function, innovation, construction, design, engineering, and safety. The most prestigious annual award, the Overall Best Tall Building Worldwide is awarded to one of the specific categorical winners. In 2010, the CTBUH conferred the Global Icon Award, an award for a unique tall building with a profound impact both locally and globally, to the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Awards criteria Individual awards Originally conceived in 2002, the first CTBUH Award, the Lynn S. Beedle Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes an individual who has made extraordinary contributions to the advancement of tall buildings and the urban environment during his or her professional career. The 2002 award was given and named after Lynn S. Beedle, an American structural engineer and founder of the Council on Tall Buildings And Urban Habitat. In 2004 a second lifetime award was created, the Fazlur R. Kahn Lifetime Award, named after Bangladeshi-American structural engineer and architect Fazlur Rahman Khan, which recognizes an individual for demonstrated excellence in technical design and/or research that has made a significant contribution to a discipline for the design of tall buildings and the built urban environment. The award was first given in 2004 to Leslie E. Robertson, an American engineer and lead structural engineer of the Twin Towers of the original World Trade Center in New York City.
Beginning in 2006 the CTBUH Awards began recognizing CTBUH Fellows for their contribution to the Council over an extended period of time, and in recognition of their work and the sharing of their knowledge in the design and construction of tall buildings and the urban habitat. The first CTBUH Fellows in 2006 were A. Eugene Kohn, Charles A. DeBenedittis, Gilberto do Valle, and Henry Jack Cowan.
Structural awards The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat added two categories starting in 2007 which recognize completed structures for excellence. The Best Tall Building Award recognizes projects that have made extraordinary contributions to the advancement of tall buildings and the urban environment, and that achieve sustainability and wellness at the highest and broadest level. The Beetham Tower, completed in 2006 in Manchester, England was the first recipient of the award. The second award added in 2007 was the Best Sustainable Building Award, which was awarded to Hearst Tower, completed in 2006 in New York City.
In 2008, the second year of CTBUH Awards for structures, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat added four geographical categories for the best tall building, the regions were Americas (North and South), Asia & Australasia, Europe, and Middle East & Africa. The Best Tall Building Award was then awarded to one of the regional award winners. In 2008 the CTBUH Best Tall Building Award winners were New York Times Building in New York City; Shanghai World Financial Center in Shanghai, China; 51 Lime Street in London, England; and Bahrain World Trade Center in Manama, Bahrain. The Best Tall Building Award Winner Worldwide was announced as the Asia & Australasia winner the Shanghai World Financial Center. The Best Tall Building Award categories based on the four regions would remain in place until 2019, when new categories were added based on sustainability and building height.
In 2013 a new 10 Year Award was added. In 2014 the Urban Habitat and Performance awards were issued for the first time. The CTBUH uses the following award criteria for skyscrapers.
The project must be completed and occupied (topped out architecturally, fully clad, and at least partially occupied), no earlier than 1 January of the previous year, and no later than 1 October of the current awards year. The project advanced architectural form, structure, building systems, sustainable design strategies, and provides life safety for its occupants. The project must exhibited sustainable qualities at a broadest level. The project must have achieved a high standard of excellence and quality. The site planning and response to its immediate context must ensure rich and meaningful urban environments. The contributions of the project should be generally consistent with the values and mission of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH).
The criteria for the Innovation Award:
Demonstrate a specific area of innovation within design or construction. Should be applicable to other tall building projects. Single innovative element (single project can be nominated multiple times for different innovations) Building can also be submitted for Best Tall Building Award
The criteria for the 10 Year Award:
Demonstrate successful performance over time. Must have been completed between 10–12 years since the current award year (In the inaugural year submissions of buildings completed between 10–15 years since the current award year will be considered).
The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat bestowed a new award for Burj Khalifa at its annual "Best Tall Buildings Awards Ceremony" on 25 October 2010 when Burj Khalifa honored as first recipient of CTBUH's new Tall Building "Global Icon" Award. According to CTBUH the new "Global Icon" award recognizes those very special supertall skyscrapers that make a profound impact, not only on the local or regional context, but on the genre of tall buildings globally. Which is innovative in planning, design and execution, the building must have influenced and re-shaped the field of tall building architecture, engineering, and urban planning. It is intended that the award will only be conferred on an occasional basis, when merited by an exceptional project perhaps every ten or fifteen years.
Former CTBUH Awards Chair Gordon Gill, of Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture said:
"There was discussion amongst members of the jury that the existing 'Best Tall Building of the Year' award was not really appropriate for the Burj khalifa. We are talking about a building here that has changed the landscape of what is possible in architecture a building that became internationally recognized as an icon long before it was even completed. 'Building of the Century' was thought a more appropriate title for it."
Award winners
Individual award winners Year Lynn S. Beedle Lifetime Achievement Award Fazlur Khan Lifetime Achievement Medal 2002 Lynn S. Beedle N/A 2003 Charles DeBenedittis N/A 2004 Gerald D. Hines Leslie E. Robertson 2005 Alan Garnett Davenport Werner Sobek 2006 Ken Yeang Srinivasa Iyengar 2007 Lord Norman Foster Farzad Naeim 2008 César Pelli William F. Baker 2009 John C. Portman Jr. Prabodh V. Banavalkar 2010 William Pedersen Ysrael Seinuk 2011 Adrian Smith Akira Wada 2012 Helmut Jahn Charles Thornton & Richard Tomasetti 2013 Henry N. Cobb Clyde N. Baker Jr. 2014 Douglas Durst Peter Irwin 2015 Minoru Mori Nicholas E. Billotti 2016 Cheong Koon Hean Ron Klemencic 2018 Larry Silverstein Áine Brazil 2019 James Goettsch Israel David2020Moshe SafdieWuren Wang
Structural awards 2007 AwardBuilding/Person Location Best Tall Building Award The Beetham Hilton Tower Manchester Best Sustainable Tall Building Hearst Tower New York City
2008 AwardBuilding/Person Location Best Tall Building Overall Award Shanghai World Financial Center Shanghai Best Tall Building Award AmericasThe New York Times Building New York City Best Tall Building Award Asia and Australasia Shanghai World Financial Center Shanghai Best Tall Building Award Europe 51 Lime Street London Best Tall Building Award – Middle East & Africa Bahrain World Trade Center Manama
2009
AwardBuilding/Person Location Best Tall Building Overall Award Linked Hybrid Building Beijing Best Tall Building Award AmericasManitoba Hydro Tower Winnipeg Best Tall Building Award Asia and Australasia Linked Hybrid Building Beijing Best Tall Building Award Europe Broadgate Tower London Best Tall Building Award Middle East & Africa Tornado Tower Doha
2010
AwardBuilding/Person Location Best Tall Building Overall Broadcasting Place Leeds Best Tall Building Americas Bank of America Tower New York City Best Tall Building Asia & Australasia Pinnacle @ Duxton Singapore Best Tall Building Europe Broadcasting Place Leeds Best Tall Building Middle East & Africa Burj Khalifa Dubai Global Icon Award Burj Khalifa Dubai
2011
The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat announced the winners of its annual "Best Tall Building" awards for 2011 on June 15, 2011.
AwardBuilding/Person Location Best Tall Building Overall KfW Westarkade Frankfurt Best Tall Building Americas 8 Spruce Street New York City Best Tall Building Asia & Australasia Guangzhou International Finance Center Guangzhou Best Tall Building Europe KfW Westarkade Frankfurt Best Tall Building Middle East & Africa The Index Dubai
2012
AwardBuilding/Person Location Best Tall Building Overall Doha Tower Doha Best Tall Building Americas Absolute Towers Mississauga Best Tall Building Asia & Australasia 1 Bligh Street Sydney Best Tall Building Europe Palazzo Lombardia Milan Best Tall Building Middle East & Africa Doha Tower Doha Tall Building Innovation Award Al Bahar Towers Abu Dhabi
2013
AwardBuilding/Person Location Best Tall Building Overall CCTV Headquarters Beijing Best Tall Building Americas The Bow Calgary Best Tall Building Asia & Australasia CCTV Headquarters Beijing Best Tall Building Europe The Shard London Best Tall Building Middle East & Africa Sowwah Square Abu Dhabi Tall Building Innovation Award (Co-Winners) Broad Sustainable Building (BSB) Prefabricated Construction Process Changsha KONE UltraRope Espoo 10 Year Award 30 St Mary Axe London
2014
AwardBuilding/Person Location Best Tall Building Overall One Central Park Sydney Best Tall Building Americas Edith Green – Wendell Wyatt Federal Building Portland Best Tall Building Asia & Australasia One Central Park Sydney Best Tall Building Europe De Rotterdam Rotterdam Best Tall Building Middle East & Africa Cayan Tower Dubai Urban Habitat Award The Interlace Singapore 10 Year Award Post Tower Bonn Tall Building Innovation Award BioSkin Performance Award International Commerce Centre Hong Kong
2015
AwardBuilding/Person Location Best Tall Building Overall Bosco Verticale Milan Best Tall Building Americas One World Trade Center New York City Best Tall Building Asia & Australasia CapitaGreen Singapore Best Tall Building Europe Bosco Verticale Milan Best Tall Building Middle East & Africa Burj Mohammed Bin Rashid Tower Abu Dhabi Urban Habitat Award PARKROYAL on Pickering Singapore 10 Year Award Turning Torso Malmö Tall Building Innovation Award HOLEDECK® Performance Award Chifley Tower Sydney
2016
AwardBuilding/Person Location Best Tall Building Overall Shanghai Tower Shanghai Best Tall Building Americas VIA 57 West New York City Best Tall Building Asia & Australasia Shanghai Tower Shanghai Best Tall Building Europe The White Walls Nicosia Best Tall Building Middle East & Africa The Cube Beirut Urban Habitat Award Wuhan Tiandi Site A Wuhan 10 Year Award Hearst Tower New York City Tall Building Innovation Award Pin-Fuse Performance Award TAIPEI 101 Taipei
2018