Towering above the competition: 2012 list of best tall buildings in the world is revealed

By TAMMY HUGHES

Winner: The Absolute Towers in Mississauga, Canada, a fast-growing suburb of Toronto, were named the best tall buildings in the Americas

Dramatic skyscrapers in Canada, Qatar, Australia and Italy have been named the best tall buildings in the world for 2012 by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.
The four regional winners include the Absolute Towers in Mississauga, Canada (Americas), 1 Bligh Street, Sydney (Asia and Australia), Palazzo Lombardia, Milan (Europe), and Doha Tower/BurjQatar, Doha (Middle East and Africa).
The Al Bahar Towers in Abu Dhabi won the CTBUH’s first Innovation award for the project’s remarkable computer-controlled sun-screen.

The Absolute Towers are set to be completed in August 2012, and will reach a height of 179.5 meters (589 ft.) and 158 meters (518 ft.)

While Palazzo Lombardia is the first tall building in Italy to earn CTBUH recognition and 1 Bligh is the first building in Australia to be honoured.
A record number of towers taller than 200 meters were completed in 2011 - 88 compared to 32 in 2005.
Another 96 are due to be completed this year.
An overall winner for the 'Best Tall Building Worldwide' will be named at the CTBUH 11th Annual Awards Ceremony and Dinner at the Illinois Institute of Technology, October 18.

Striking: 1 Bligh Street was named the best tall building in Asia and Australasia. This 28-story elliptical tower stands out from the boxy structures nearby, in the heart of Sydney¿s central business district

Impressive: The centerpiece of 1 Bligh Street is the glass- and aluminum-lined atrium, Australia¿s tallest naturally ventilated sky lit atrium

The CTBUH Best Tall Building Awards are an independent review of new projects, judged by a panel of industry executives. Projects are recognised for making an extraordinary contribution to the advancement of tall buildings and the urban environment, and for achieving sustainability at the broadest level.
This year the CTBUH Board of Trustees also awarded the Lynn S. Beedle Lifetime Achievement Award to Helmut Jahn, the architect known for his simple and elegant designs.

Skyline: Palazzo Lombardia, in Milan, was named the best tall building in Europe. This 40-story government building is the first CTBUH award winner from Italy

Distinct: The Doha Tower in Qatar was named the best tall building in the Middle East and Africa

Al Bahar Towers in Abu Dhabi was named the most innovative tall building in the world

The Council received 78 entries from around the world for the Best Tall Building awards. The majority of the entries were from Asia, followed by the Middle East.
The number of entries from the Americas continued to decline, reflecting the impact of the recent global recession.
Winners and finalists are featured in the annual CTBUH Awards Book, which is published in conjunction with a major global publisher and distributed internationally each year.

source: dailymail