Sany Headquarters Named Best Tall Building Worldwide
The Council on Vertical Urbanism honored the Guangzhou, China, development at its 2026 awards.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Remote Work
The Council on Vertical Urbanism named the Sany Irootech Headquarters in Guangzhou, China, Best Tall Building Worldwide for 2026. The project also won Best Tall Building Asia, Best Tall Building (200-299m), and Structure categories.
Why it matters
The award recognizes an engineering approach that places the building's structural frame on the exterior and suspends most floors from it. The recognition highlights design choices in tall buildings that combine office and residential use.
The two mixed-use towers stand 204m and 186m tall, connected by an elevated podium and completed in December 2024. Four out of every five floors are suspended from the exposed hexagonal structural frame, with the project designed to China Green Building Label Three-Star and LEED Gold standards. The source does not report the number of competing entries considered.
The players
Council on Vertical Urbanism
The Council on Vertical Urbanism is an organization that recognizes outstanding tall buildings through its annual awards program.
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill is a major international architecture firm known for designing large commercial and mixed-use skyscrapers.
Sany Group
Sany Group is a Chinese heavy-machinery manufacturer that commissioned the Sany Irootech Headquarters.
The details
The complex in Guangzhou, China, includes two mixed-use towers linked by an elevated podium. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill designed the development, and the Beijing Institute of Architectural Design served as architect of record. Some office floors were converted to residential use during construction, and a seismic protection system uses friction-clamped steel plates in the bracing.
Timeline
December 2024: Development completed.
2026: Council on Vertical Urbanism names the headquarters Best Tall Building Worldwide.
Remote Work Context
The award arrives as tall office towers in China and elsewhere are being adapted for mixed office and residential use, a shift that matters for remote-work planning. The Sany towers convert some office floors to housing during construction, offering one model for buildings that serve both workplace and home functions.
Mixed-use towers that convert office space into housing could change where and how workers live near their jobs. Readers planning hybrid schedules may find more residential options near urban offices as developers adapt existing buildings.
The takeaway
Buildings designed to switch between office and residential use may offer more flexibility as workplace needs change. The award highlights how structural design can make such adaptation possible.
Further reading
Explore more on Remote Work for context on how office design is changing with hybrid schedules.
More information
See the full CVU 2026 award winners list from the Council on Vertical Urbanism.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Construction Briefing.
