David Rubenstein Forum at University of Chicago Named Best Tall Building Worldwide in 2022 by Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat

The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat has selected the David Rubenstein Forum at the University of Chicago (Illinois) as the best tall building worldwide in 2022. CTBUH also recognized The David Rubenstein Forum as the 2022 Best Tall Building under 100 meters and the 2022 Best Tall Building in the Americas. Turner Construction Company served as the general contractor on the project.

The 10-story building contains a 285-seat auditorium, along with lecture halls and numerous multipurpose rooms for learning. It serves a wide range of users with six stacked and rotated blocks that cantilever out from a central spine. The stacked “neighborhoods” are oriented toward the University of Chicago’s campus in Hyde Park, the Chicago Skyline and lake Michigan to the north, as well as the nearby Woodlawn community and others further south.

The Forum establishes a strong connection to the natural environment and achieved a sustainability certification of LEED Gold. The building has green roofs, rain gardens and landscaping that incorporates native flora, and integrates bird-safe technology in its glass façade to make the glass visible to birds as it is located on the Mississippi Flyway Zone. The building has large amounts of natural light in all meeting rooms, thereby reducing energy use. It also employs the use of energy-efficient conditioning systems that achieve indoor comfort levels primarily via passive radiant technology, significantly mitigating its carbon footprint.

Image: Brett Beyer