Three Projects designed by NIKKEN SEKKEI Win in Six Categories at Annual 2024 CTBUH Awards

A trio of Nikken Sekkei-designed projects earned accolades at the annual 2024 CTBUH (Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat) awards in London. Announced on September 25 at a ceremony held at the Barbican Centre, the company’s awards included a Grand Prize in two categories and an Excellence Award in four categories.

HD Hyundai Global R&D Center
Grand Prize, Systems Award 2024 Winner
Best Tall Building, by Region, Asia 2024 Award of Excellence
Best Tall Building, by Height, 100-199 meters 2024 Award of Excellence

One Za'abeel
Grand Prize, Best Tall Building, by Region, Middle East & Africa 2024 Winner
Best Tall Building, by Height, 300 meters and above 2024 Award of Excellence

JR Kumamoto Station Building
Space Within Award 2024 Award of Excellence

The HD Hyundai Global R&D Center is located in Seongnam City, Korea. In this project, the concepts of “CUBE,” “VOID,” and “GRID” were used to enhance intellectual creativity and foster a sense of group unity. The homogeneous steel outframe facade expresses HD Hyundai’s identity, which has grown together with the development of the steel industry. The building’s huge central atrium creates a sense of unity and induces diverse communications. A thermal environment was created incorporating traditional Korean ondol (underfloor heating) concepts. The use of water thermal storage to reduce peak power consumption and renewable energy was also used to both promote decarbonization and create a comfortable work environment. The effectiveness of these features has been measured and verified; continuous feedback is used to further improve performance.

Client: HD Hyundai
Architect: Nikken Sekkei Ltd, Heerim Architects & Planners Co., Ltd

Located on the way to central Dubai, U.A.E., one of the world's leading financial hubs, this large-scale mixed-use development consists of office, hotel, residential, and commercial facilities. The iconic twin high-rise towers on two separate sites divided by a highway are connected by “THE LINK,” a 230-meter long cantilevered skybridge positioned 100 meters above ground. The project serves as a modern, dynamic, symbolic gateway to the city, and welcomes visitors from Dubai International Airport.

Client: Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD)
Architect: Nikken Sekkei Ltd, WSP (AOR/Engineer)

This complex facility embodies Kumamoto's uniqueness, symbolizes the region’s recovery from recent earthquakes, and comprises commercial facilities, a hotel, a movie theater, and banquet halls. By incorporating nature, the resulting biophilic design improves productivity and happiness. An interior 30-meter-high “three-dimensional garden of water and greenery” thematically recreates Kumamoto's rich natural environment. A staircase-shaped atrium brings natural light indoors, and dozens of plants native to Japan are arranged in a growing environment optimized with simulations. The activities stimulated in the garden permeate the plaza in front of the station, generating a lively scene in the newly reborn city of Kumamoto.

Client: Kyushu Railway Company
Architect: Nikken Sekkei Ltd