Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, founded in 1936, is one of the largest and most influential architecture firms in the world. SOM has long been known for innovation, experimentation, design
excellence, and technical mastery, for an abiding interest in the contributions that buildings can make to the life of cities, and for a collaborative approach that extends to all aspects of
the design and construction processes. This volume presents work from the late 1990s and 2000s.
In an era of true globalization in design and commerce, SOM has come to occupy a unique place in American and international architecture. Recognized for the exceptional quality of its
architectural design and urban planning, the firm is also renowned for its clients, an eminent group of businesses and institutions. In the years 1997-2008, the period represented in this
monograph, SOM's steadfast dedication to a modern expression has produced an important series of works at all scales, in a variety of typologies, in countries around the world. From the
diminutive Skyscraper Museum in New York City to the radiant Cathedral of Christ the Light in Oakland, California, to the master plan and two buildings for the University of California Merced,
the newest U.C. campus, the works shown here illustrate the remarkable range of SOM's current practice.
Perhaps no work exemplifies the firm's creative, multifaceted approach as much as 7 World Trade Center, the first structure built at the World Trade Center after September 11, 2001. On a site
claimed by commerce but also subject to the demands of memory, SOM created an elegant stainless-steel and glass tower that restores the New York City street grid and begins the process of
remaking this part of the city. A suggestive combination of artistic and structural expertise, dedication to finding sustainable design solutions, collaborations with preeminent artists and
designers, and commitment to urbanism characterize not only 7 World Trade Center but SOM's recent body of work.
