Adrian Smith (architect)


Adrian D. Smith is an American architect. He designed the world's tallest structure, Burj Khalifa, as well as the building projected to surpass it, the Jeddah Tower. Among his other projects, he was the senior architect for the Trump International Hotel & Tower in Chicago, the Jin Mao Tower in Shanghai, and Zifeng Tower in Nanjing.

Early Life and education

Adrian Smith was born in Chicago in 1944. When he was four years old, his family moved to Southern California, where he grew up. His interest in drawing led his mother to suggest that he study architecture.
Smith attended Texas A&M University, pursuing a Bachelor of Architecture while being involved with the Corps of Cadets. However, he did not graduate and instead started working for Skidmore, Owings and Merrill in 1967. He finished his education at the University of Illinois, Chicago College of Architecture and Arts, graduating in 1969. In 2013, Smith was presented with an Honorary Doctorate of Letters degree from Texas A&M University.

Career

Smith spent many years at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Chicago, beginning in 1967 and was a Design Partner from 1980 to 2003 and a Consulting Design Partner from 2003 to 2006. In 2006, he founded Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, which is dedicated to the design of high-performance, energy-efficient and sustainable architecture on an international scale. In 2008, he co-founded the MEP firm of PositivEnergy Practice, which specializes in the environmental engineering of high-performance, energy-efficient architecture.

Recognition

Projects Smith designed have won over 125 awards including 5 international awards, 9 National American Institute of Architects Awards, 35 State and Chicago AIA Awards, and 3 Urban Land Institute Awards for Excellence. He was the recipient of the CTBUH 2011 Lynn S. Beedle Lifetime Achievement Award. Smith's work at SOM has been featured in museums in the United States, South America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. He is a Senior Fellow of the Design Futures Council.

Selected projects

The following is an abridged list of work Smith was primarily responsible for as a partner at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill: or as Design Partner at Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture.

Completed

BuildingYearCityCountryFirm
Expo 20172017AstanaKazakhstanAS+GG
Waldorf Astoria Beijing2014BeijingChinaAS+GG
FKI Tower2013SeoulKoreaAS+GG
Chicago Central Area Decarbonization Plan2011ChicagoUnited StatesAS+GG
Pearl River Tower2011GuangzhouChinaSOM
Burj Khalifa2010DubaiUnited Arab EmiratesSOM
Zifeng Tower2010NanjingChinaSOM
Trump International Hotel and Tower 2009ChicagoUnited StatesSOM
Broadgate Tower2009LondonUnited KingdomSOM
Chemsunny Plaza2008BeijingChinaSOM
Jubilee Park Pavilion2004LondonUnited KingdomSOM
Tower Palace III2004SeoulKoreaSOM
Canary Wharf, International banking headquarters buildings: HQ1, DS1, DS3, DS4; FC21991-2004LondonUnited KingdomSOM
601 Congress Street, Manulife Financial2003BostonUnited StatesSOM
General Motors Renaissance Center2003DetroitUnited StatesSOM
Millennium Park and Millennium Park Master Plan2002ChicagoUnited StatesSOM
Sede do BankBoston2002Sao PauloBrazilSOM
Washington University Arts and Sciences Building2000St. LouisUnited StatesSOM
Jin Mao Tower1998ShanghaiChinaSOM
Washington University Psychology Building1996St. LouisUnited StatesSOM
Summer of New Hope - Warren Blvd Project1996ChicagoUnited StatesSOM
Aramco Headquarters Office Building1993DhahranSaudi ArabiaSOM
10 Ludgate Place1992LondonUnited KingdomSOM
USG Building 1991ChicagoUnited StatesSOM
NBC Tower1989ChicagoUnited StatesSOM
Rowes Wharf1988BostonUnited StatesSOM
Olympia Centre1986ChicagoUnited StatesSOM
United Gulf Bank Building1986ManamaBahrainSOM
Banco de Occidente1980Guatemala CityGuatemalaSOM

Currently under construction

ProjectTypeCityCountryStatusCompletion DateFirm
Wuhan Greenland CenterSupertallWuhanChinaOn-Hold2019AS+GG
Chengdu Greenland TowerSupertallChengduChinaConstruction2020AS+GG
Central Park TowerSupertallNew York CityUnited StatesConstruction2020AS+GG
Jeddah TowerMegatallJeddahSaudi ArabiaConstruction2020AS+GG

Significant unbuilt projects

Monographs