Ross Wimer, Design Partner in the Chicago office of SOM, discusses his twisting Infinity Tower, a 75-story helix-shaped residential structure now under construction in Dubai, and the planned North Bund complex in Shanghai, illustrating the adaptation of energy-efficient towers in the extremes of climate and local environments.
Ross Wimer
As a design partner in the Chicago office of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, Ross Wimer has created innovative architectural projects in over 20 cities on five continents. Although the majority of these designs are for large-scale mixed-use programs such as Leamouth Peninsula in London, Infinity Tower in Dubai, and White Magnolia Plaza in China, Mr. Wimer’s portfolio is diverse. Examples range from city planning as in the 93 hectare Marina Bay Master Plan, to airport design as in Changi Airport Terminal 3, to industrial design as in the New York Standard Streetlight and door hardware for Valli & Valli SPA. Since joining SOM in 1995, Mr. Wimer’s designs have incorporated the rigor and logic of engineering, environmental sustainability, and expressive structure. This aesthetic can be seen in projects such as Zhengzhou Greenland Plaza. His projects have been published widely; exhibited at the Venice Biennale, The Art Institute of Chicago, and The Museum of Modern Art in New York.