CHICAGO —  The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) has named Linked Hybrid by Steven Holl Architects as the “Best Tall Building Overall” for 2009.

With its rich pallet, appropriate scale and consistency in architectural language, Linked Hybrid adds a level of high quality architecture to the city of Beijing. Working well above the level of purely sculptural architecture, the project embodies, on an urbanistic scale, where the future of tall buildings and urban cities is heading, creating architecture that does not isolate, but rather connects both on the ground level and in the sky. This creates both a unique ground floor that acts as an oasis in the density of Beijing, and a real multi-use zone of connected urbanism in the sky.

The project incorporates numerous sustainable design features, but really goes far beyond its geo-thermal and water recycling, to take on the much broader issue of social-urban sustainability itself. Its mix of residential and retail, cinemas and kindergartens, hotels and art galleries, swimming pools and parks—all within a single complex—is remarkable. The idea to weave these facilities into the complex not only at the ground level but throughout the section of the building, is fantastic. As described by CTBUH Executive Director and 2009 Jury panel member, Antony Wood, “It is only in the intensification of our cities and the inclusion of mixed urban-public facilities in the sky that the true vibrant, dense cities of the future can be realized. The Linked Hybrid building, perhaps more than any other built project, really does point the way to that future.”

Accepting the award on behalf of the Linked Hybrid project team was design architect Steven Holl. Joining Mr. Holl on stage was Li Hu, project manager in Beijing from Steven Holl Architects, Congzhen Xiao, from structural engineer on the project, China Academy of Building Research, and Stefan Holst, from environmental consultants, Transsolar ClimageEngineering.

The Council issues Best Tall Building Awards annually to give recognition to projects that have made extraordinary contributions to the advancement of tall buildings and the urban environment, and that achieve sustainability at the highest and broadest level. It issues four regional awards each year (Americas, Asia & Australasia, Europe and Middle East & Africa). In addition, from the four regional awards, one project is awarded the honor of Best Tall Building Overall.

The Council announced its four 2009 regional winners earlier this year: Manitoba Hydro Place for Americas, Linked Hybrid for Asia & Australasia, The Broadgate Tower for Europe, and Tornado Tower for Middle East & Africa. Linked Hybrid was chosen from these four regional winners and announced as the Best Tall Building Overall for 2009.

The Award was bestowed at the 8th Annual Awards Dinner and Ceremony held October 22nd at the Illinois Institute of Technology campus in Chicago, USA. Following brief presentations by each of the regional winners, the CTBUH Awards Committee Chairman, Gordon Gill of Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, announced the overall winner to be Linked Hybrid, describing the project as, “rich in thought, both programmatically and architecturally, presenting an advanced typology for dense urban living.”