Adrian Smith (architect)

American architect

Adrian D. Smith (born August 19, 1944) 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. A long time principal of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, he founded his own architectural partnership firm Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture in Chicago in 2006. Among his other projects, he was the senior architect for Central Park Tower in New York City, Trump International Hotel & Tower in Chicago, the Jin Mao Tower in Shanghai, and Zifeng Tower in Nanjing.

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 (SOM) 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.

Smith spent many years at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), 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 (AS+GG), 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 (PEP), which specializes in the environmental engineering of high performance, energy efficient architecture.

The petal shape of Burj Khalifa was a major architectural contribution by Smith. The shape of Burj Khalifa was inspired by Spider Lily flower. The three petal shape re configures as the building height increases. The change in pattern along the height does not allow flow pattern to organize. This confuses the wind and saves the building from the effect of vortex shedding. Smith also credited to introduce the first large scale commercial passive double wall structure in the United States located at 601 Congress Street in Boston in 2006.

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.

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.

Building Year City Country FirmCentral Park Tower2021New York CityUnited StatesAS+GGExpo 20172017AstanaKazakhstanAS+GGWaldorf Astoria Beijing2014BeijingChinaAS+GGFKI Tower2013SeoulKoreaAS+GGChicago Central Area Decarbonization Plan2011ChicagoUnited StatesAS+GGPearl River Tower2011GuangzhouChinaSOMBurj Khalifa2010DubaiUnited Arab EmiratesSOMTrump International Hotel and Tower (Chicago)2009ChicagoUnited StatesSOMBroadgate Tower2009LondonUnited KingdomSOMChemsunny Plaza2008BeijingChinaSOMJubilee Park Pavilion2004LondonUnited KingdomSOMTower Palace III2004SeoulKoreaSOMCanary Wharf, International banking headquarters buildings: HQ1, DS1, DS3, DS4; FC21991–2004LondonUnited KingdomSOM601 Congress Street, Manulife Financial2003BostonUnited StatesSOMGeneral Motors Renaissance Center2003DetroitUnited StatesSOMMillennium Park and Millennium Park Master Plan2002ChicagoUnited StatesSOMSede do BankBoston2002Sao PauloBrazilSOMWashington University Arts and Sciences Building2000St. LouisUnited StatesSOMJin Mao Tower1998ShanghaiChinaSOMWashington University Psychology Building1996St. LouisUnited StatesSOMSummer of New Hope – Warren Blvd Project1996ChicagoUnited StatesSOMAramco Headquarters Office Building1993DhahranSaudi ArabiaSOM10 Ludgate Place1992LondonUnited KingdomSOMAT&T Corporate Center (currently Franklin Center)1991ChicagoUnited StatesSOMNBC Tower1989ChicagoUnited StatesSOMRowes Wharf1988BostonUnited StatesSOMOlympia Centre1986ChicagoUnited StatesSOMUnited Gulf Bank Building1986ManamaBahrainSOMBanco de Occidente1980Guatemala CityGuatemalaSOM