Adrian Smith (architect)
American architect
title: "Adrian Smith (architect)" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["modernist-architects-from-the-united-states", "postmodern-architects", "20th-century-american-architects", "21st-century-american-architects", "1944-births", "living-people", "architects-from-chicago", "artists-from-evanston,-illinois", "texas-a&m-university-alumni", "university-of-illinois-chicago-alumni", "skyscraper-architects", "skidmore,-owings-&-merrill-people", "burj-khalifa"] description: "American architect" topic_path: "geography/united-states" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrian_Smith_(architect)" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary American architect ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox architect"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Adrian D. Smith |
| image | Adrian Smith crop.jpg |
| birth_date | |
| birth_place | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| alma_mater | University of Illinois Chicago (BArch) |
| practice | Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture |
| significant_buildings | Burj Khalifa |
| Jin Mao Tower | |
| Pearl River Tower | |
| Trump International Hotel & Tower | |
| significant_projects | Jeddah Tower |
| Azerbaijan Tower | |
| :: |
| name = Adrian D. Smith | image = Adrian Smith crop.jpg | caption = | birth_date = | birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | alma_mater = University of Illinois Chicago (BArch) | practice = Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture | significant_buildings = Burj Khalifa Jin Mao Tower Pearl River Tower Trump International Hotel & Tower
Central Park Tower | significant_projects = Jeddah Tower Azerbaijan Tower | awards =
Adrian Devaun 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.
Early life and education
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.
Career
Smith spent many years at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) in Chicago, beginning in 1967. He served as a Design Partner from 1980 to 2003 and as a Consulting Design Partner from 2003 to 2006.
In 2006, he founded Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture (AS+GG), which is dedicated to designing high-performance, energy-efficient, and sustainable architecture on an international scale. In 2008, he co-founded the MEP firm PositivEnergy Practice (PEP), which specializes in environmental engineering for high-performance, energy-efficient architectural design.
Contributions to architecture
The petal shape of the Burj Khalifa was a major architectural contribution by Smith. The shape of the Burj Khalifa was inspired by the spider lily flower. The three-petal shape reconfigures as the building height increases. The change in pattern along the height does not allow the flow pattern to organize. This confuses the wind and protects the building from the effects of vortex shedding. Smith was also credited with introducing the first large-scale commercial passive double-wall structure in the United States, located at 601 Congress Street in Boston in 2006.
Recognition
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.
Selected projects
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.
Completed
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0c/JinMaoTower.JPG" caption="[[Jin Mao Tower]] in Shanghai"] ::
::data[format=table]
| Building | Year | City | Country | Firm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 830 Brickell | 2023 | Miami | United States | AS+GG |
| Wuhan Greenland Center | 2022 | Wuhan | China | AS+GG |
| Central Park Tower | 2021 | New York City | United States | AS+GG |
| Expo 2017 | 2017 | Astana | Kazakhstan | AS+GG |
| Waldorf Astoria Beijing | 2014 | Beijing | China | AS+GG |
| FKI Tower | 2013 | Seoul | Korea | AS+GG |
| Chicago Central Area Decarbonization Plan | 2011 | Chicago | United States | AS+GG |
| Pearl River Tower | 2011 | Guangzhou | China | SOM |
| Burj Khalifa | 2010 | Dubai | United Arab Emirates | SOM |
| Trump International Hotel and Tower (Chicago) | 2009 | Chicago | United States | SOM |
| Broadgate Tower | 2009 | London | United Kingdom | SOM |
| Chemsunny Plaza | 2008 | Beijing | China | SOM |
| Jubilee Park Pavilion | 2004 | London | United Kingdom | SOM |
| Tower Palace III | 2004 | Seoul | Korea | SOM |
| Canary Wharf, International banking headquarters buildings: HQ1, DS1, DS3, DS4; FC2 | 1991–2004 | London | United Kingdom | SOM |
| 601 Congress Street, Manulife Financial | 2003 | Boston | United States | SOM |
| General Motors Renaissance Center | 2003 | Detroit | United States | SOM |
| Millennium Park and Millennium Park Master Plan | 2002 | Chicago | United States | SOM |
| Sede do BankBoston | 2002 | São Paulo | Brazil | SOM |
| Washington University Arts and Sciences Building | 2000 | St. Louis | United States | SOM |
| Jin Mao Tower | 1998 | Shanghai | China | SOM |
| Washington University Psychology Building | 1996 | St. Louis | United States | SOM |
| Summer of New Hope – Warren Blvd Project | 1996 | Chicago | United States | SOM |
| Aramco Headquarters Office Building | 1993 | Dhahran | Saudi Arabia | SOM |
| 10 Ludgate Place | 1992 | London | United Kingdom | SOM |
| AT&T Corporate Center (currently Franklin Center) | 1991 | Chicago | United States | SOM |
| NBC Tower | 1989 | Chicago | United States | SOM |
| Rowes Wharf | 1988 | Boston | United States | SOM |
| Olympia Centre | 1986 | Chicago | United States | SOM |
| United Gulf Bank Building | 1986 | Manama | Bahrain | SOM |
| Banco de Occidente | 1980 | Guatemala City | Guatemala | SOM |
| :: |
Currently under construction
::data[format=table]
| Project | Type | City | Country | Status | Completion Date | Firm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chengdu Greenland Tower | Supertall | Chengdu | China | Construction | 2026 | AS+GG |
| Jeddah Tower | Megatall | Jeddah | Saudi Arabia | Construction | 2028 | AS+GG |
| :: |
Significant unbuilt projects
::data[format=table]
| Building | City | Country | Firm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masdar Headquarters | Abu Dhabi | United Arab Emirates | AS+GG |
| 1 Dubai | Dubai | United Arab Emirates | AS+GG |
| 7 South Dearborn | Chicago | United States | SOM |
| King Abdullah City | King Abdullah City | Saudi Arabia | SOM |
| Mitsui Headquarters Competition | Tokyo | Japan | SOM |
| Samsung Togok | Seoul | Korea | SOM |
| Xiamen Posts and Telecommunications Building | Xiamen | China | SOM |
| :: |
Monographs
- Smith, Adrian, The Architecture of Adrian Smith, SOM: Toward a Sustainable Future, Images Publishing Group Pty Ltd,
- Smith, Adrian, Pro Architect 24: Adrian D Smith, Archiworld Company Ltd,
References
References
- Chiarella, Tom. (June 7, 2016). "The Man with His Head in the Clouds".
- "Archone".
- "Outstanding alum chosen to receive honorary Ph.D. - ArchONE".
- "How the Burj Khalifa was built".
- Feblowitz, C. Joshua. (2010). "Confusing The Wind: The Burj Khalifa, Mother Nature, and the Modern Skyscraper". Inquiries Journal.
- "Adrian Smith – Design Partner at Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture".
- "Adrian Smith biography at smithgill.com".
- "CTBUH 10th Annual Awards, 2011". Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.
- [https://archive.today/20120802075206/http://www.di.net/about/senior_fellows/ Design Futures Council Senior Fellows]
- Smith, Adrian. (2007). "The Architecture of Adrian Smith, SOM: Toward a Sustainable Future". Images Publishing Group Pty Ltd.
- "Chengdu Greenland Tower - The Skyscraper Center".
- "Jeddah Tower - The Skyscraper Center".
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