Daniel Haug
When architecture firm Foster + Partners set about designing The Bow tower to preside over Calgary's skyline, there's no doubt they wanted to impress.
Mission accomplished, folks.
Following on the heels of being named to Azure magazine's 'Top 10 Projects of 2012,' the towering skyscraper has been chosen as one of the most spectacular corporate buildings in the world.
A panel of judges at Emporis, a global provider of building data, chose the sleek steel and glass skyscraper as one of 15 daring designs that aim to express identity through architecture.
The Bow, standing at 58 storeys (236 metres), takes its place on the list alongside buildings like the 452 meter-tall twin Petronas Towers in Kuala Lampur and the 367 meter-tall Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong.
Click through the slideshow below to see other buildings that made the list.
World's Most Amazing Corporate Buildings
The Bow(01 of15)
Architect: Foster + Partners- Serves as the corporate HQ of the Canadian petroleum and gas producer EnCana.- The building was named The Bow for the unbeatable view it provides of the Bow River.- A particularly eye-catching aspect of the building is its crescent-shaped steel-framed structure. (credit:Daniel Haug)
Adidas LACES(02 of15)
Architect: kadawittfeldarchitektur- adidas LACES is part of the "World of Sports" corporate headquarters of the German sports goods manufacturer adidas.- The building has a floor area of 61,900 m², the rough equivalent of eight soccer pitches.- The structure's footprint is reminiscent of a sports sneaker and the bridges connecting the departments inside the building symbolize its laces. (credit:adidas Group)
Aldar Headquarters(03 of15)
Architect: MZ Architects- Aldar Headquarters is the first upright circle-shaped building in the Middle East. - The eye-catching shape reinforces the leading position of its occupier, the property, management and investment company Aldar Properties.- The building forms the heart of Al Raha Beach, a new city on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi. (credit:Michael Merola)
Bank of China Tower(04 of15)
Architects: I.M. Pei & Partners, Sherman Kung & Associates Architects Limited- The tower houses the headquarters of the Bank of China Hong Kong.- With its shape composed of triangles and its sparkling surfaces, the Bank of China Tower is reminiscent of a gigantic crystal- The building was the first outside the USA to break the 1,000-foot mark. (credit:Johannes Kaira)
BMW-Komplex(05 of15)
Architect: Karl SchwanzerThe BMW Building is the central administration building of the internationally-renownedautomobile manufacturer BMW.- The building's four linked tubes are consciously intended to evoke associations with four-cylinder engines; indeed, the building also has the German nickname "Vierzylinder" ("four-cylinder" in English).- Its unusual design made the building subject of much discussion in the international architecture community on its completion in 1973. (credit:Abdul Rahman)
Gazprom(06 of15)
Architect: Tekeli & Sisa- Headquarters of Gazprom, the world's largest natural gas producer.- The company is already planning a new skyscraper in St. Petersburg, to be shaped like a gas flame.- At 460 meters, it would be Europe's tallest building. (credit:Leonid Kazakov)
General Motors Renaissance Center(07 of15)
Architects: Skidmore, Owings And Merrill LLP, John Portman & Associates- The General Motors Renaissance Center consists of five separate towers, four of which are used by General Motors as their headquarters.- The central tower houses a Marriott hotel with a high-class revolving restaurant, the "Coach Insignia", on the penthouse floor. (credit:Dan Macy)
Hearst Tower(08 of15)
Architect: Foster + Partners- An office building, Hearst Tower is home to the Hearst Corporation, from which it takes its name.- It was the first office building in New York to receive LEED Gold Rating, using substantially less energy than an average office building of its size.- Hearst Tower claimed 1st Place in the 2006 Emporis Skyscraper Award. (credit:Mathias Beinling)
ING House(09 of15)
Architect: Meyer en Van Schooten Architecten- ING House is headquarters of the global financial services provider ING Group.- Due to its unusual shape, the building also has the nicknames "shoe" and "dustbuster".- The body of ING House is supported by 16 steel legs. (credit:Michiel van Dijk)
Jong-ro Tower(10 of15)
Architects: Rafael Viñoly Architects, Samoo Architects & Engineers- The building is owned by the Korean investment company Samsung Securities.- The top of Jong-ro Tower houses a restaurant that offers diners a spectacular view of Seoul.- Due to its futuristic design, the building is one of the most significant in Seoul. (credit:Alexei Bobko)
Petronas Towers(11 of15)
Architect: César Antonio Pelli- The twin towers were commissioned by the petroleum conglomerate Petronas.- A skybridge, open to the public, connects the two towers at 170 meters' height.- The footprint of each of the Petronas Towers is in the shape of an eight-sided star, a form taken from Islamic architecture. (credit:Jon Bek)
Riviera TwinStar Square(12 of15)
Architect: Arquitectonia- The two towers of Riviera TwinStar Square are home to two separate banks, the Agricultural Bank of China and the China Construction Bank.- The towers stand both apart from and at the same time inclined toward one another, thus symbolizing contrast and harmony. (credit:Evan Chakroff)
The Lloyd's Building(13 of15)
Architect: Richard Rogers Partnership- The internationally-known insurers Lloyd's of London are headquartered in the building.- Construction of the famous Lloyd's Building took eight years and used 33,510 m³ of concrete, 30,000 m² of stainless steel cladding and 12,000 m² of glass.- As some of the staircases and elevators were placed on the outside of the building, visible to all, it is also known as the "Inside-Out Building". (credit:Lloyd's)
Torre Mare Nostrum(14 of15)
Architect: Enric Miralles - Benedetta Tagliabue/EMBT- Torre Mare Nostrum was built on the site of a former gasworks. It serves as the headquarters of the multinational gasNatural fenosa.- The building is located on Barcelona's Barceloneta peninsula. The glass facade is intended to be a reflection of this location.- Two protruding blocks near ground level form part of Torre Mare Nostrum and give the building an innovative look. (credit:Jose Miquel Hernendez Hernendez)
Tour CMA CGM(15 of15)
Architect: Zaha Hadid Architects- Tour CMA CGM was awarded 3rd Place in the 2010 Emporis Skyscraper Award.- The distinguished architect Zaha Hadid designed the building, which is intended to evoke a ship's sail, for the French shipping group CMA CGM. (credit:Iwan Baan)