Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM)

Our Los Angeles Bus Shelter Program continues to earn recognition across the design industry. Last night, the program received a 2025 AIA Los Angeles Design Award, honoring the project's innovative, climate-responsive approach to public infrastructure and its role in advancing equity and resilience across Los Angeles. The Sidewalk and Transit Amenities Program, or STAP, will bring 3,000 new and upgraded shelters and 450 shade structures to neighborhoods across the city over the next decade. It was also featured in Monocle magazine’s “Top 20 Thrilling Design Discoveries to Experience Now,” which spotlights groundbreaking projects around the world that offer fresh perspectives on how design shapes everyday life. MORE → bit.ly/4ocUkBS 📷: James Michael Juarez © SOM 

Yesterday, JPMorganChase celebrated the opening of 270 Park Avenue, its new global headquarters and a major addition to the New York City skyline. Within the tower by Foster + Partners, SOM designed the eight expansive trading floors—500,000 square feet of high-performance workspace that will accommodate approximately 4000 traders, representing the largest trading environment in New York City. Strategically located at the base of the building for better team integration, these floors are purpose-built for the demands of modern trading. The design is driven by both scale and performance, with functional two-floor suites that support a range of working styles. At the heart of each suite is a double-height atrium, work cafe, and central conferencing space, while smaller meeting areas and pantries line the perimeter. Generous ceiling heights, full-block floorplates, and strategic layouts maximize access to daylight and views, while circadian lighting and biophilia support occupant health and well-being. “Our goal was to create a trading environment that supports both the focus and collaboration inherent in the work,” said Ece Calguner Erzan, Interior Design Principal. “By creating suites with shared amenities, and integrating their layout within the structural logic of the tower, we were able to design spaces that are both highly functional and deeply connected to the building’s overall identity.” MORE → bit.ly/3JlVzzb Photo: © Aaron Fedor, Renderings: JPMorganChase, courtesy of HayesDavidson

At 2500 Cedar Springs Road in Uptown Dallas, SOM’s design for a new 34-story tower will anchor one of the city’s most ambitious mixed-use developments. The building will be home to Dallas Proper Hotel and Residences, establishing a new destination for design, hospitality, and urban living in the heart of the city. Our architectural design introduces a refined, contemporary silhouette to the Dallas skyline, characterized by cascading terraces, shaded outdoor amenities, and floor-to-ceiling glass that captures light and panoramic views across the city. The project creates a vertically integrated community that unites hospitality, residential, and wellness spaces within a cohesive architectural framework. Set to open in 2029, Dallas Proper Hotel and Residences, with interiors by Kelly Wearstler, exemplifies SOM’s multidisciplinary approach to urban design—one that balances performance, livability, and craft to shape meaningful experiences in the heart of the city. MORE → bit.ly/47lyrsR Image: Proper Hospitality

We just wrapped National Hispanic Heritage Month—a time to honor the cultures, stories, and contributions of Hispanic and Latinx communities around the world. This year, SOM’s employee resource group Arquitectos led the celebration under the theme “Matices” (meaning nuances or shades). Across Austin, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco, we hosted a month of conversations, creative workshops, and community events that brought this theme to life. In New York, Yiselle Santos Rivera, AIA President-Elect, joined us for a global presentation with Latinos In Design on representation and accessibility in the profession. Our Leadership Perspectives series featured a panel discussion with Fernando Herrera, Emil Duval, and Alejandra Royo Pallares, who shared reflections on identity, culture, and creativity in design. We also supported charitable efforts in our communities, and in Austin, our team created an installation for AIA Austin’s Las Piñatas exhibition, celebrating Día de los Muertos. We are thankful to our many colleagues for their commitment to fostering community, connection, and cultural awareness throughout SOM. 📷: © SOM

Opening today in Madrid, a new exhibition demonstrates how architects and engineers collaborate. “Interconexiones: Arquitectura e Ingeniería en SOM” reveals SOM’s design process by focusing on the connection joints—or nodes—in seven projects. Presented in a series of scale models installed in the courtyard of the University of Alcalá , each building detail reveals the architectural and structural challenges that the design team sought to resolve. Learn about the exhibition below. MORE → bit.ly/47zcMNZ

Following her recent appointment as Chair of the 2025 RIBA Silver Medal jury, SOM Sustainability Director Mina Hasman was featured on the Solving for Climate podcast, a series that spotlights leading voices in innovation, design, and entrepreneurship addressing the global climate crisis. Hasman discussed with data scientist Dr. Hannah Ritchie our partnership with Prometheus Materials on algae-based, carbon-sequestering alternatives to concrete—along with the systems-based approach to Urban Sequoia, which envisions cities as living, breathing ecologies capable of achieving dramatic reductions in whole-life carbon. Continue on to hear the podcast and learn about her service on the RIBA President’s Medals jury. MORE → bit.ly/48qQGiC

From January 12-16, students will join SOM studios around the world for a week of immersive learning, mentorship, and insight into some of the most exciting and transformative architecture, engineering, and planning projects in the world through our Winter Shadowship. Interested in participating or know someone who would? The program is open to undergraduate and graduate students in architecture, engineering, urban planning, interior design, or related fields who share our commitment to advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion across the AEC industry. Throughout the week, participants will connect with designers and engineers across multiple disciplines, attend lectures and events, and gain first-hand experience in our studios. Sponsored by SOM’s Employee Resource Groups, including Arquitectos, Asian Alliance, SOM NOMA, Pride, and the Women’s Initiative, the Shadowship will take place in person across our New York, Dubai, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Chicago, and London studios. Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. EST on November 1, 2025. Throw your hat in the ring below! MORE → bit.ly/478Xzmv

Our design for the U.S. Embassy in Windhoek, Namibia, has been honored with a 2025 AIA International Design Award.    Located in Namibia’s capital city, the U.S. Embassy Windhoek fosters diplomatic collaboration between the United States and Namibia in harmony with Windhoek’s stunning natural landscape, complete with locally sourced materials, energy efficient design, and unobstructed views of the Eros and Auas mountain ranges. Thoughtfully designed to prioritize connection and conservation, the complex features flexible office spaces, drought-resistant gardens, and a three-story atrium featuring artworks by American and Namibian artists. Learn about the project below. MORE → bit.ly/3Wz0CPN Images: Dave Burk © SOM

Construction is underway on the superstructure of the Tung Chung East Commercial Development—marking an important milestone in our collaboration with Chinachem Group, Gammon Construction Limited, and ALKF. Located along the northwestern coast of Lantau Island, the project reimagines the waterfront as a vibrant new hub for work, commerce, and community life. Spanning more than 1.2 million square feet, the mixed-use development brings together Grade A office space, retail, and Hong Kong’s first vertical data center—woven into a walkable, sustainable urban framework. A series of publicly accessible plazas, sky gardens, and active terraces offers spaces for connection, leisure, and reflection—framing panoramic views of Lantau’s green peaks. Learn about it below. MORE → bit.ly/42uo5Fl Images: SOM | TIPTOP

At SOM, we believe design has the power to foster a collaborative, flexible, and healthy workplace culture. We’re excited to be partnering with Goldman Sachs on its new NorthEnd campus in Dallas, Texas. Working alongside Rottet Studio and Corgan, we are designing an 800,000-square-foot workplace that embodies Goldman Sachs’ ethos, while celebrating the distinct local culture and community.   “Reflecting our longstanding collaboration with Goldman Sachs, we designed a workplace that enables hyper-flexibility, prioritizes sustainability, and helps to create connections among people and with nature," said Ece Calguner Erzan, Interior Design Principal. Read the press release below. MORE → bit.ly/48gZrf2 Image: © SOM