SOM (architects)

SOM (architects) is a global architecture, urban planning, and engineering firm founded in 1936 by Louis Skidmore, Nathaniel Owings, and John O. Merrill in Chicago. The firm rose to prominence through landmark commissions such as Lever House, Seagram Building, and Willis Tower, working with clients including RCA, Seagram Company, and United Airlines while collaborating with engineers like Fazlur Rahman Khan and firms such as Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP partners. SOM's portfolio spans projects in cities such as New York City, London, Dubai, Shanghai, and Mumbai.

History

SOM's origins trace to the partnership of Louis Skidmore, Nathaniel Owings, and John O. Merrill, who met through commissions connected to Chicago World's Fair and the Great Depression's recovery programs, expanding into commissions for corporations like Sullivan & Cromwell and institutions such as University of Chicago. In the postwar era SOM designed corporate headquarters including Lever House for Lever Brothers and partnered with Mies van der Rohe-influenced clients including Philip Johnson and David Rockefeller for urban renewal projects like Rockefeller Center-adjacent developments. The firm's structural innovations accelerated under engineers such as Fazlur Rahman Khan—noted for tubular designs used in Willis Tower and John Hancock Center—and led to international expansion with offices in London, Hong Kong, and Dubai during the late 20th century, securing contracts with governments of Saudi Arabia and developers like Emaar Properties. In the 21st century SOM led redevelopment at World Trade Center with One World Trade Center and executed large-scale mixed-use plans for clients including Brookfield Properties and Tishman Speyer.

Notable Projects

SOM's notable projects include early modernist landmarks such as Lever House and Seagram Building (collaborating with Ludwig Mies van der Rohe-era practitioners and clients like I. M. Pei-era institutions), supertall towers including Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower), One World Trade Center at World Trade Center site, and contemporary works like Burj Khalifa-related consultancies in Dubai and master plans for Hudson Yards in New York City. The firm produced civic works such as the United States Air Force Academy campus and transportation projects like O'Hare International Airport expansions, and cultural commissions including collaborations with Guggenheim Museum affiliates and the Museum of Modern Art. SOM also designed hospitality and residential towers for developers like The Related Companies and corporate campuses for Google-adjacent clients and AT&T; conservation and adaptive reuse projects include conversions at Battery Park City and urban regeneration work in Shanghai Tower contexts.

Design Philosophy and Practice

SOM's design philosophy integrates engineering innovation, exemplified by tubular structural systems by Fazlur Rahman Khan, with modernist aesthetics associated with practitioners including Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and patrons like David Rockefeller, emphasizing functionalism for clients such as Harrison & Abramovitz-related firms. The practice blends architecture, structural engineering, and environmental strategies employed for projects with stakeholders including United Nations-adjacent developments and municipal authorities in cities like Chicago and Hong Kong. SOM advocates for context-sensitive urbanism in master plans in collaboration with institutions like American Institute of Architects partners and regulatory bodies such as New York City Department of City Planning while pursuing sustainability certifications such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for projects with clients including JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup. Design research groups within the firm have published work referenced by academics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, and University College London.

Organizational Structure and Global Offices

SOM is organized as a partnership with leadership including design partners, executive directors, and technical directors who coordinate studios across global offices in Chicago, New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., London, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Mumbai, and Dubai. The firm's project teams interface with consultants such as Arup, Buro Happold, and WSP Global and coordinate with developers like Hines, Tishman Speyer, and Brookfield; they also engage with public agencies including Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and cultural institutions such as Smithsonian Institution. Governance follows professional practice norms under license boards like the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards and associations including the Royal Institute of British Architects.

Awards and Recognition

SOM has received numerous awards from organizations such as the American Institute of Architects, including AIA Honor Awards and the AIA Twenty-five Year Award for projects like Lever House and Seagram Building-era recognition; individuals associated with the firm have been awarded honors including the Pritzker Architecture Prize-related commendations and fellowships from the Royal Institute of British Architects and National Medal of Arts-era institutional accolades. Structural engineers at SOM have received prizes from societies such as the Institution of Structural Engineers and Engineering News-Record awards, and the firm has been listed in rankings by publications such as Architectural Record and Dezeen for contributions to supertall architecture and urban design.

Category:Architecture firms of the United States