Diller Scofidio + Renfro's 10-story cantilevered campus tower named 2022 Best Tall Building Worldwide by the CTBUH​

The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) has named Diller Scofidio + Renfro and Brininstool + Lynch’s recent design for the David Rubenstein Forum at the University of Chicago as the 2022 Best Tall Building Worldwide after a vote announced during its annual conference earlier this month.

The 10-story mixed-use structure on the University's main Hyde Park campus houses several vital student and faculty activities, including workshops, lectures, and symposia. Its design features one of the longest concrete cantilevers in Chicago over its 2-story base and relies on an 8-story tower arranged vertically into stacks of opposing cantilevers containing academic “neighborhoods” that are meant to “relate visually and tangibly to communities to the south and north of the city” according to the school’s President Paul Alivisatos.

“It is no longer enough to simply build tall,” CTBUH CEO Javier Quintana de Una said finally, speaking of the theme used to judge this year's crop. “We must approach density in ways that are meaningful, creative, innovative, carbon neutral and affordable. Only then can we support balanced and healthy living, working and civic and social engagement. The David Rubenstein Forum, and all of this year’s Award of Excellence winners, demonstrate that it is possible to consider the built environment—transportation, public and cultural institutions, green spaces, commercial enterprises, and other crucial infrastructure—holistically and adapt it broadly and equitably for positive, sustainable outcomes.”

The project achieved LEED Gold certification and includes bird-safe glass among its many environmentally-conscious features. Passive design strategies are incorporated into the building’s heat and air conditioning systems, and the structure comes complete with a green roof and native vegetation that enhances its overall sustainability metrics and performance. 

The project was joined by Award of Excellence winners in 25 other categories, including the Best Tall Building Under 100 Meters and Americas categories, for which it also won. View the full list of awardees here.