The finalists of this year's International High-Rise Award (IHA) have been determined
The jury selected five buildings from Asia, Europe, Australia and South America from a total of 30 nominated high-rise buildings from 12 countries. In reaching its decision, the jury focused on recognising projects that will remain relevant for many years to come, despite the fact that planning for them had begun several years earlier.
The IHA is regarded as the world’s most prestigious award for high-rise buildings. On 3 November 2026, Birgit Dietl-Benzin, a member of the DekaBank’s Executive Board, will announce the winning project at Frankfurt’s Paulskirche.
For the jury, the focus was on the question of what role the high-rise of the future will play. It was agreed that – apart from aesthetics and function – the skyscraper’s ability to ‘be a good neighbour’ is of fundamental importance. Does it contribute to its surroundings and how does it enrich them? Does it benefit the city and its residents? Against this background, the jury selected a shortlist of five finalists from among the 30 longlisted projects. Specifically, these are:
The IHA 2026/27 finalists at a glance
- ZIN, Brussels, Belgium
Architecture: 51N4E, Brussels, Belgium; l'AUC, Paris, France & Jaspers-Eyers Architects, Brussels, Belgium - AGE 360, Curitiba, Brasilien
Architecture: Architects Office, São Paulo, Brazil & Triptyque, São Paulo, Brazil/ Paris, France - Tencent Tower, Guangzhou, China
Architecture: Ateliers Jean Nouvel, Paris, France - 88 Walker, Sydney, Australia
Architecture: Fitzpatrick + Partners, Sydney, Australia - One Pearl Bank, Singapore
Architecture: Serie Architects, London, UK & Multiply Architects, Singapore
A residential high-rise that takes urban density to a new level
The consensus of the jury was that, whilst One Pearl Bank in Singapore took inspiration from the historic form of its predecessor, it does not simply imitate it. Instead, the project explores how community life can be improved. In this regard, the high-rise encourages a neighborly environment and is truly contemporary. The design attests to a thorough engagement with notions of social and public spaces in a very densely built city.
Photo: Serie Architects & Multiply Architects
- Architecture: Serie Architects, London, UK & Multiply Architects, Singapore
- Client: CapitaLand Development, Singapore
- Main use: Residential
- Height: 178 m
- Completion: January 2026
- Location: Singapore
An allotment garden in one of Singapore’s most densely occupied residential towers? That is precisely what One Pearl Bank provides. Configured on the narrow sides of both towers are eighteen small garden plots with nearly 200 raised beds where residents can cultivate their own fruits and vegetables.
This greenery, somewhat luxuriant even for Singapore, is completed by planters installed on the balconies, intended for shrubs and small trees, along with “sky gardens”, as well as on the roofs of the towers, which are linked by bridges. The extra-tall roof-top pergolas, covered in solar paneling, provide shade, inviting joggers to rest after their high-altitude exertions.
Pearl Bank Apartments, the predecessor building, was intended for 1,500 occupants. With a hillside location in a park, it was a familiar and iconic landmark for the people of Singapore. Upon its completion in 1976, the high-rise boasted the highest occupation density of any modern private residential building, and was a pioneering symbol of Singapore’s urban development.
Meanwhile, targets for residential density in the downtown area have risen decisively. The new building was to take up the familiar form of Pearl Bank Apartments while developing it further in keeping with current expectations, at the same time increasing the number of apartments from 272 to 774 despite using roughly the same surface area. This high density was achieved by creating two curving structures that are staggered in relation to one another. These segments of a circle are configured in such a way that residents enjoy optimal views while nonetheless maintaining a sense of privacy.
The ground floor is designed to revive interest in the adjacent Pearl’s Hill City Park. Since the park is set at the end of a steep area of terrain, it is relatively inaccessible and hence underused. The new landscape design guides pedestrians directly into the park via a luxuriantly planted area with more than 500 trees comprising altogether thirty-five different species. Between the towers there are numerous communal areas for residents: for example, a pool complex, pavilions, a children’s playground, fitness areas and a barbecue area.
Photo: Finbarr Fallon
Photos: Finbarr Fallon
The IHA 2026/27 jury
The international jury is made up of experts from architecture and engineering practice, education and the partners of the IHA, namely DekaBank, the City of Frankfurt, and Deutsches Architekturmuseum.
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Brian Yang, Partner BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group, Copenhagen/Denmark – jury chairman
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Klaas De Rycke, Partner, Managing Director, Executive Board BOLLINGER+GROHMANN, Paris/France,
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Elisabeth Endres, TU Braunschweig, Executive Management Ingenieurbüro Hausladen, Munich/Deutschland
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Shirley Surya, Curator Design und Architecture, M+, Hong Kong
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Martha Thorne, Architect, Curator, Author, Madrid/Spain
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Florian Beck, Associate Partner, Site manager Munich blocher partners, Munich/Germany
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Dr. Ina Hartwig, Deputy Mayor in Charge of Culture and Science City of Frankfurt / Main
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Peter Cachola Schmal, Director Deutsches Architekturmuseum (DAM), Frankfurt/Main
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Johannes Hermanns, Managing Director Deka Immobilien Investment GmbH, Frankfurt/Main
Deputy jury member:
- Andrea Jürges, Deputy Director Deutsches Architekturmuseum (DAM), Frankfurt am Main
IHP 2026/27 Jury Meeting; Photo: Kirsten Bucher
Committed to architecture since 2004
The IHA is the top prize for highrise buildings worldwide. Since 2004, the award has been organized jointly every two years by by the City of Frankfurt/Main, Deutsches Architekturmuseum (DAM) and Deka. Since its launch at the beginning of the millennium, it has accompanied the ongoing global boom in high-rise construction, a prime architectural discipline.
The aim of the IHA is to create public awareness of the importance of architecture. Responsible planning and a design that prioritises social and environmental sustainability criteria are important factors for the IHA. As co-founder of the award, Deka therefore supports the role of the winning buildings as models for construction in the future.
Award statuette
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.
DekaBank convinced internationally renowned artist Thomas Demand to design the statuette accompanying the award. Since 2004, this symbol of the International High-Rise Award has been produced every two years and conferred on the new winner.
International High-Rise Award Prize statuette by Thomas Demand (Photo: © Foto: Uli Maier BFF).
Previous recipients of the IHA:
- 2024 "CapitaSpring" in Singapore, BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group and Carlo Ratti Associati
- 2020 "Norra Tornen" in Stockholm, Sweden, Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA)
- 2018 „Torre Reforma“ in Mexiko City (Mexico), BR&A Arquitectos as architects and developer.
- 2016 „VIA 57 West“ in New York City (USA), BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group and The Durst Organization as the developer.
- 2014 „Bosco Verticale“ in Milan (Italy), Boeri Studio and Hines Italia as the developer.
- 2012 “1 Blight Street” in Sydney (Australia), a cooperation between ingenhoven architects in Düsseldorf and Architectus in Sydney with DEXUS Property Group; DEXUS Wholesale Property Fund, Cbus Property as the developers.
- 2010 “The Met” in Bangkok (Thailand), WOHA in Singapore and Pebble Bay, Thailand as the developer.
- 2008 “Hearst Building” in New York (USA), Foster + Partners and Hearst Corporation as the developer.
- 2006 “Torre Agbar” in Barcelona (Spain), Ateliers Jean Nouvel and Layetana as the developer.
- 2004 “De Hoftoren” in The Hague (The Netherlands), Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (International) PA, London and ING Vastgoed as the developer.
Further information about the International High-Rise Award can be found on the website here.
