International High-Rise Award 2026/27: 30 High-Rise Projects Nominated Globally

 
Frankfurt, 01.07.2026

The buildings nominated for the International High-Rise Award 2026/27 have now been announced: they have been selected from more than 1,000 new high-rises worldwide dating from the past two years. In autumn, the five finalists will be announced. Then, on November 3, 2026, the winner of the International High-Rise Award (IHA) will be presented in the Paulskirche (St. Paul’s Church) in Frankfurt/Main.

The award has been organized jointly by the City of Frankfurt/Main, Deutsches Architekturmuseum (DAM) and DekaBank since 22 years. It was initiated in response to the global boom in the key discipline of high-rise buildings that has been observable since the start of the new millennium.

The DAM’s research in this year confirmed the ongoing trend seen in favor of mixed-use high-rises, a form of tall building that since 2014 has repeatedly been in evidence among the IHRA finalists. What were in the past special features such as buildings completely clad in greenery or the construction of clusters of towers have long since become part of the new normal. As a result of the lack of suitable construction sites and the growing eco-awareness, the focus in high-rise construction is increasingly on the use of existing buildings.
 
While the majority of tall buildings continue to be erected in China, followed by the USA and Australia, at present South America, including Argentina and Brasil as well as Singapore have emerged as exciting hubs of high-rise architecture.
 
In the final instance, 30 projects from 12 different countries were nominated for the long list of the International High-Rise Award 2026/27, represented on five continents.

Geographical distribution of the nominees:

14 x Asia: 9 x China, 1 x Malaysia, 2 x Singapore, 1 x South Korea, 1 x United Arab Emirates
 
5 x Australia
 
3 x Europe: 1 x Belgium, 1 x Germany, 1 x Austria
 
5 x North America: 5 x USA

3 x South America: 1 x Argentina, 2 x Brazil
 
The Award
 
The International High-Rise Award is presented for a high-rise that combines sustainability, external design, and internal use of space and takes full consideration of social and urban planning-related aspects in order to create an exemplary design. Further criteria are innovative engineering and cost-effectiveness. The International High-Rise Award is considered one of the world’s most important architecture awards for high-rises. It is aimed at architects and developers whose buildings are at least 100 meters in height and were completed over the past two years.

The nominated projects at a glance:
 
Huergo 475 Tower, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Architecture: Adamo-Faiden, Buenos Aires, Argentina
 
Shenzhen Transsion Holdings Headquarters, Shenzhen, China
Architecture: Aedas, Hong Kong, China
 
Tencent Tower, Guangzhou, China
Architecture: Ateliers Jean Nouvel, Paris, Frankreich
 
Indi Sydney, Sydney, Australia
Architecture: Bates Smart, Brisbane, Australia
 
The Brook, Brooklyn NY, USA
Architecture: Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners, New York, USA
 
The Axiom, Shanghai, China
Architecture: Büro Ole Scheeren, Berlin, Germany
 
130 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, Australia
Architecture: COX Architecture, Melbourne, Australia
 
Europa-Allee-Tower, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
Architecture: cma cyrus moser architekten, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
 
Vienna Twentytwo, Vienna, Austria
Architecture: DMAA Delugan Meissl Associated Architects, Vienna, Austria
 
Merdeka 118, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Architecture: FK Architects, Southbank, Australia
 
88 Walker, Sydney, Australia
Architecture: Fitzpatrick + Partners, Sydney, Australia
 
270 Park Avenue, New York NY, USA
Architecture: Foster + Partners, London, Great Britain
 
CITIC International Building, Shenzhen, China
Architecture: gmp · von Gerkan, Marg und Partner Architects, Berlin, Germany
 
ZIN, Brussels, Belgium
Architecture: Jaspers-Eyers Architects, Brussels, Belgium; 51N4E, Belgium, Belgium & l'AUC, Paris, France

660 Fifth Avenue, New York NY, USA
Architecture: KPF, New York NY, USA
 
One Madison Avenue, New York NY, USA
Architecture: KPF, New York NY, USA
 
Irwell Hill Residences, Singapore
Architecture: MVRDV, Rotterdam, Netherlands & ADDP architects, Singapore
 
vivo Smartphone Headquarters, Shenzhen, China
Architecture: NBBJ, Los Angeles CA, USA
 
HD Hyundai Global R&D Center, Sungnam, South Korea
Architecture: NIKKEN SEKKEI, Tokyo, Japan & Heerim Architects & Planners, Seoul, South Korea
 
JOMOO Headquarters, Xiamen, China
Architecture: OMA Office for Metropolitan Architecture, Hong Kong, China
 
One Sydney Harbour, Sydney, Australia
Architecture: Renzo Piano Building Workshop, Genoa, Italy; Lend Lease Design, Sydney, Australia & PTW Architects, Sydney, Australia
 
Hetao Innovation Center, Shenzhen, China
Architecture: schneider + schumacher, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
 
One Pearl Bank, Singapore
Architecture: Serie Architects, London, Great Britain & Multiply Architects, Singapore
 
The Brooklyn Tower, Brooklyn NY, USA
Architecture: SHoP Architects, New York NY, USA
 
Greenland Hangzhou Century Center, Hangzhou, China
Architecture: SOM Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Chicago IL, USA
 
Sany IROOTECH Headquarters, Guangzhou, China
Architecture: SOM Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Chicago Il, USA
 
AGE 360, Curitiba, Brazil
Architecture: Triptyque, São Paulo, Brazil/Paris, France & Architects Office, São Paulo, Brazil
 
EZ Parque da Cidade, São Paulo, Brazil
Architecture: UNStudio, Amsterdam, Netherlands
 
Wasl Tower, Dubai, VAE
Architecture: UNStudio, Amsterdam, Netherlands
 
443 Queen St, Brisbane, Australia
Architecture: WOHA, Singapore & Architectus, Brisbane, Australia
 
UNStudio’s “Frankfurt Four” project was not nominated due to a potential conflict of interest: DekaBank, a co-initiator of the IHA, is headquartered in the building.
 
More information from:
www.international-highrise-award.com
 
Press photos can be downloaded from:
www.international-highrise-award.com/en/press
www.dam-online.de/presse

DekaBank is the securities services provider of the German Savings Banks Finance Group (Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe). Together with its subsidiaries it forms Deka Group. With total customer assets of more than EUR 440 billion (as at 30/09/2025) and 5.9 million securities accounts, DekaBank is one of the largest securities services providers and real estate asset managers in Germany. It provides private and institutional investors with access to a wide range of investment products and services. DekaBank is firmly anchored in the Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe (Savings Banks Finance Group) and tailors its product portfolio to the requirements of its owners and sales partners in the securities business.