Bangkok building takes bronze in global architecture competition.

A Bangkok skyscraper has ranked third in a prestigious global high-rise architectural competition.

The Met on the Thai capital´s South Sathorn Road, designed by WOHA Architects, has won the bronze prize in the annual Emporis Skyscraper of the Year award. The 69-storey residential tower incorporates multiple green features and optimises energy-efficient comfort in a tropical climate.

Chicago’s Aqua was the overall winner. Jury members meet annually to judge buildings of at least 100 metres tall completed during the award year. At a height of 262 metres, Aqua is currently the 40th tallest in the United States of America and was the fifth tallest building completed last year.

Members of the jury praised Aqua for its innovative shape, the appearance of which changes drastically depending on the perspective. They also commended the technical achievement in relation to the precision of the building’s construction and the green design innovations employed despite the massive size of the tower.

The Silver Award was presented to O14 in Dubai, designed by Reiser + Umemoto Architecture. O14, whose name is taken from its lot number in the Business Bay development. The building is an office tower wrapped in a curved concrete sheath, punctuated by circular holes of varying sizes. Its shell forms a shield against the powerful sunlight in the Arabian desert.

WOHA Architects, the company behind The Met, also designed Newton Suites in Singapore which collected second prize in the 2007 Awards. A total of 305 buildings were eligible for the 2009 awards. A presentation ceremony will be held in Chicago later this year.

The top ranked buildings in the Emporis Skyscraper Award for 2009 were:

1. Aqua, Chicago, U.S.
2. O14, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
3. The Met, Bangkok, Thailand.
4. Torres de Hércules, Los Barrios, Spain.
5. Trump International Hotel & Tower, Chicago, U.S.
6. The Red Apple, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
7. Bank of America Tower, New York City, U.S.
8. Almas Tower, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
9. Millennium Tower, San Francisco, U.S.
10. William Beaver House, New York City, U.S.