Gensler's back on top of the world

摘要

Gensler has reclaimed its crown as the world's biggest architect, knocking Aecom into second place, according to BD's WA100 survey published today. It comes as the practice's Shanghai Tower enters its final year of construction. When it opens in 2015 the 632m office block will be China's tallest building and the world's second-tallest after Dubai's Burj Khalifa. The prized top slot was fiercely contested, with both US giants adding to their architectural staff this year. By contrast, the remainder of the practices in the top five - Nikken Sekkei, IBI Group and Aedas - all shed architects. Gensler, which last topped the survey in 2009 and employs 1,468 architects in 15 countries, also took the biggest fees of the year, above $600 million. It attributed its success to organic expansion rather than acquisitions.