Three Sydney skyscrapers celebrated

The annual competition, held by Chicago-based Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), celebrate the best in innovative tall buildings, urban spaces, building technologies and construction practices from around the world.

According to awards jury chair, Karl Fender, director of Australian architecture firm Fender Katsalidis, “being recognised by the world’s premier authority on tall buildings is a great honour,” and “helps drive innovation across all disciplines in our industry”.

Mirvac’s EY Centre on George Street is a finalist in the best construction category, and is up against three American and one Chinese building.

Bay Warburton, Mirvac’s head of stakeholder relations, says the 37-storey tower has “set industry benchmarks for sustainability, innovation, heritage integration and construction techniques in Australia and around the world”.

In 2017, the EY Centre achieved Australia’s first WELL rating from the International WELL Building Institute.

Lendlease’s three International Towers at Barangaroo are competing against eight other buildings from Singapore, China and South Korea in the best tall building category for the region, as well as in the urban habitat category.

Designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, the three towers collectively offer 280,000 sqm of office space. Tower One, at 49 storeys, is Australia's largest office tower.

Frasers Property Australia’s apartment building Lumiere, also on George Street, is squaring off against seven other projects for the special ten-year award.

Among those in the running for the 10 Year Award are the world trade centres in Shanghai and Bahrain, San Francisco's federal building and the Manchester Civil Justice Centre.

Frasers Property Australia’s One Central Park was recognised as the world’s best tall building in 2014.

Meanwhile, Hickory Building Systems is a finalist for an innovation award. Hickory has developed a prefabrication construction method, pioneered on Melbourne’s La Trobe Tower.