The Sany Irootech Headquarters, a pair of skyscrapers in Guangzhou, China, has been named the Best Tall Building Worldwide for its exoskeletons, designed to respond to high winds and earthquakes. Its bracing uses clamped steel plates and friction material within its horizontal sections; in a big earthquake, the bracing slides and dissipates energy through friction and heat.
The buildings, rising to 204 and 186 metres in the port city of Guangzhou, were commissioned by construction machinery company Sany. Their exposed hexagrid facades are formed from concrete-filled steel tube columns, with four out of every five floors hung from the frame to create flexible, column-free interiors.
SOM structural and seismic engineering consulting partner Mark Sarkisian said the towers needed a system that is stiff for daily wind and moderate seismic movement but softens during an extreme earthquake. He said such a quake could be 10 times the demand from the wind. “Instead of yielding and damaging the steel, we clamped common steel plates together with a friction material within the horizontal sections of the building's offset bracing, so in a big earthquake the bracing slides and dissipates the energy through friction and heat, like pressing the brake on your car,” Sarkisian said. “We believe it's the future of seismic design for tall buildings.”
The towers incorporate landscaped terraces at five-floor intervals, passive cooling via operable vents and glass doors, and an elevated podium that frees up the ground for a public plaza with gardens and art. The awards ceremony was held by the Council on Vertical Urbanism (formerly known as CTBUH) in London this week.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- Skyscraper design requires balancing stiffness against ductility in seismic zones. This friction-based system offers a new paradigm that avoids structural damage under extreme loads.
- The successful application in a real 200-metre building, recognised by the industry's highest award, is likely to accelerate adoption in other earthquake-prone regions.
- It represents a shift toward buildings designed to remain fully operational immediately after a quake rather than just survivable.
Background
Guangzhou, a major port city in seismically active Guangdong Province, is a hub for innovative high-rise construction. SOM is a prominent international architecture and engineering firm. The friction-clamping brace system is an evolution of energy-dissipating dampers used in seismic engineering, here integrated into the primary lateral load path.
Key Perspectives
- Mark Sarkisian, SOM: The system is stiff for daily conditions but softens for extreme earthquakes, dissipating energy through friction like a car brake, and represents the future of tall building seismic design.
- Council on Vertical Urbanism: Selected the Sany Irootech Headquarters as Best Tall Building Worldwide, highlighting its extraordinary exoskeleton and structural innovation.
What to Watch
- Whether the friction-clamping brace system is adopted in new projects in other earthquake-prone cities such as Tokyo, San Francisco, or Istanbul.
- The long-term performance of the friction materials and clamped plates in a real moderate or strong seismic event.
- Potential new design codes or guidelines that may emerge from the success of this structural concept.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedThe skyscraper that dissipates earthquake energy won a global tall-building award.New Atlas: Technology-Innovation-Outdoor News: “They have just been named the Best Tall Building Worldwide for their extraordinary exoskeleton exteriors, which cleverly respond to high winds and earthquakes.”
- SupportedSOM and the Beijing Institute of Architectural Design designed the Guangzhou headquarters, which uses friction-based seismic bracing.New Atlas: Technology-Innovation-Outdoor News: “Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), with the Beijing Institute of Architectural Design, the Sany Irootech Headquarters was commissioned by construction machinery giant Sany.”
- SupportedThe Sany Irootech Headquarters was named Best Tall Building Worldwide for its exteriors, which respond to high winds and earthquakes.New Atlas: Technology-Innovation-Outdoor News: “They have just been named the Best Tall Building Worldwide for their extraordinary exoskeleton exteriors, which cleverly respond to high winds and earthquakes.”
- SupportedMark Sarkisian said: “Instead of yielding and damaging the steel, we clamped common steel plates together with a friction material within the horizontal sections of the building's offset bracing, so in a big earthquake the bracing slides and dissipates the energy through friction and heat, like pressing the brake on your car,”New Atlas: Technology-Innovation-Outdoor News: “Instead of yielding and damaging the steel, we clamped common steel plates together with a friction material within the horizontal sections of the building's offset bracing, so in a big earthquake the bracing slides and dissipates the energy through friction and heat, like pressing the brake on your car.”
- SupportedSarkisian said the quake could be 10 times the demand from the wind.New Atlas: Technology-Innovation-Outdoor News: “which could be 10 times the demand from the wind.”
- SupportedSarkisian said: “We believe it's the future of seismic design for tall buildings.”New Atlas: Technology-Innovation-Outdoor News: “We believe it's the future of seismic design for tall buildings.”
- SupportedSarkisian is SOM's structural and seismic engineering consulting partner.New Atlas: Technology-Innovation-Outdoor News: “explains Mark Sarkisian, structural and seismic engineering consulting partner at SOM.”
- SupportedThe two skyscrapers rise to 204 and 186 metres.New Atlas: Technology-Innovation-Outdoor News: “It consists of two skyscrapers rising to a height of 204 m (679 ft) and 186 m (610 ft), respectively”
- SupportedThe headquarters was commissioned by construction machinery company Sany.New Atlas: Technology-Innovation-Outdoor News: “the Sany Irootech Headquarters was commissioned by construction machinery giant Sany.”
- SupportedThe hexagrid uses concrete-filled steel tube columns, and four out of every five floors are hung from the frame to create flexible, column-free interiors.New Atlas: Technology-Innovation-Outdoor News: “The hexagrid is formed by concrete-filled steel tube columns, with four of every five floors hung from the frame to create column-free, daylit floors, ensuring lots of flexibility inside.”
- SupportedLandscaped terraces are placed at five-floor intervals.New Atlas: Technology-Innovation-Outdoor News: “Landscaped terraces are placed at five-floor intervals, providing communal outdoor spaces”
- SupportedThe awards ceremony was held by the Council on Vertical Urbanism in London this week.New Atlas: Technology-Innovation-Outdoor News: “The Sany Irootech Headquarters was named Best Tall Building Worldwide at an awards ceremony held by the Council on Vertical Urbanism (formerly known as the CTBUH) in London this week.”
