Imagine a pair of towers that look like they were drawn by an architect who decided structure itself should be the star of the show. That’s exactly what you get with the Sany iROOTECH Headquarters in Guangzhou, China. This striking complex has just been named the Best Tall Building Worldwide for 2026 by the Council on Vertical Urbanism.
Designed by the legendary firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) — the same team behind the Burj Khalifa — along with the Beijing Institute of Architectural Design, the project was completed in December 2024 for Sany Group’s cloud-technology company, iROOTECH.
What Makes This Building So Special?
The towers rise 204 meters (about 670 feet) and 186 meters (610 feet). But height alone isn’t what won them the top prize. The real magic is the exposed hexagrid exoskeleton that wraps both buildings.
Instead of hiding the structure inside the walls, SOM brought it outside. Concrete-filled steel tube columns form an irregular, diagonal pattern across the facades. Four out of every five floors hang from this frame, which means the interiors stay almost completely column-free. That gives the offices, hotel rooms, and residential units maximum flexibility and plenty of natural light.
Guangzhou sits in a region that deals with both strong winds (including typhoons) and seismic activity. The design cleverly handles both challenges. The hexagrid is stiff enough to resist daily wind loads, yet it softens during major earthquakes. Special friction nodes in the bracing allow the steel plates to slide and dissipate energy as heat — similar to how car brakes work. Engineers believe this approach could shape the future of earthquake-resistant tall buildings.
More Than Just a Pretty Facade
An elevated podium connects the two towers and lifts the dining, retail, and exhibition spaces above street level. This frees the ground plane for a public plaza filled with gardens and art. Landscaped terraces appear every five floors, giving people outdoor space while also shading the building and reducing solar heat gain.
The project also includes passive cooling features such as operable vents and glass doors that allow natural ventilation when the weather permits. Greenery is woven into the facade itself, helping the towers feel more alive and connected to the city.
Why It Won Best Tall Building Worldwide
At the 2026 awards ceremony in London, the Council on Vertical Urbanism recognized the Sany iROOTECH Headquarters for more than its engineering. It also won awards for Best Tall Building in Asia, Best Tall Building in the 200–299 meter category, and the Structure Award.
Judges praised how the building gives the ground back to the city, blends structure with public space, and creates flexible interiors that could even change use during construction. It’s a rare example of a tall building that feels both technically advanced and genuinely human.
In a city full of glass towers, these two stand out immediately. Their white exoskeleton creates a strong visual rhythm while solving real structural problems. For anyone interested in modern architecture, earthquake engineering, or the future of tall buildings, the Sany iROOTECH Headquarters is one of the most important projects of the decade.
Have you seen the hexagrid design up close, or are you more excited about other recent skyscraper awards? Share your thoughts below.
