John Portman recognized with Lifetime achievement award

ATLANTA, GA – October 2009 – The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) has named John Portman, Founder and Chairman of John Portman & Associates (PORTMAN), the 2009 Lynn S. Beedle Award Winner. The award was presented on October 22 at a special awards dinner hosted as part of the CTBUH’s annual conference held this year in Chicago.

The Lynn S. Beedle Award honors an individual who has made extraordinary contributions to the advancement of tall buildings and the urban environment. In recognizing Mr. Portman, the Awards Jury comprised of industry leaders from around the world noted: “While John Portman has been, and continues to be, involved in many significant tall building projects around the world, what sets Mr. Portman apart is the way in which he considers not just the building itself, but the greater context of its surroundings. His careful urban planning and ability to weave art, nature, and the pedestrian experience together in his designs has led to the successful revitalization of many neighborhoods… The drama that was created by his ideas are scattered around the world… There are very few architects that have, quite literally, influenced the direction of an entire industry. John Portman has created a legacy the entire US should be proud of. He is a very worthy winner of the CTBUH Lynn S. Beedle Award.”

Examples of PORTMAN tall building projects currently underway include the Incheon 151 Tower, a 151-story building destined to be the centerpiece of Songdo Landmark City, 1,500-acre masterplanned community in Incheon Metropolitan City, Republic of South Korea; Zhejiang Fortune Finance Center, a mixed use complex featuring two sculptural towers under construction in Hangzhou, China; and Beijing Yintai Centre, a mixed use complex that includes the tallest tower in the Beijing skyline.

For more information, please visit www.ctbuh.org