Som engineering

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What is skidmore, owings & merrill known for

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History

For over four decades, the mission of the SOM Foundation has remained constant but its programs, initiatives, and leadership have evolved to address the specific issues of its time. From the Chicago Institute for Architecture and Urbanism to the current awards, these efforts are dedicated to investing in and supporting the next generation of designers.

Detail of the Charnley House, former headquarters of the CIAU. © Chicago History Museum | Hedrich Blessing Collection.

Origins of the Foundation

The architectural firm of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) traces its origins back to 1936, when Louis Skidmore and Nathaniel Owings formed a partnership in Chicago. A second office was opened in New York City the following year. In 1939 the partnership adopted its present name with the addition of a third member, architect and structural engineer John O. Merrill. The firm found success working on governmental, corporate, and civic projects and rapidly expanded in the following decades. By the early 1960s, SOM had established multiple offices across th

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Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM)

The work of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) represents some of the finest design achievements of the Modern era. Established in 1936, SOM is now one of the largest and most prominent architecture, urban planning, and engineering firms in the world. It has completed some 10,000 projects in over fifty countries, including some of the tallest structures ever built.

The founding partners of SOM were architects Louis Skidmore (1897-1962) and Nathaniel Owings (1903-1984), and John Merrill (1896-1975), who was both an architect and structural engineer. Originally just Skidmore and Owings, the firm welcomed Merrill after winning the contract to design the 1939 World’s Fair. The trio officially launched SOM in New York.

Born in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, Skidmore studied architecture at Bradley Polytechnic Institute and MIT. He served in the Army in World War I and was received the AIA Gold Medal Award in 1957.

Owings was born in Indianapolis and graduated from Cornell in 1927; he received an AIA Gold Medal Award in 1983.

Merrill was bo

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An early proponent of the International Style, the architectural firm of Skidmore,

Owings and Merrill (SOM) was best noted for its technical innovations in skyscraper design, especially during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. The “glass box” aesthetic, derived

from Mies van der Rohe, for SOM became an experiment in which, although the general style and form remained quite consistent and even somewhat bland, subtle modifications and structural enhancements were progressively undertaken. SOM’s version of corporate architecture dominated the field of high-rise building during this period, even after competing up-and-coming firms introduced more progressive design concepts and seemingly left SOM a dinosaur living off past laurels. Yet owing to its vast resources, stability, and reputation, the firm was able to maintain a consistently strong position with corporate clients, even after the retirement of the founding partners and key designers.

Founded in Chicago in 1936, SOM emerged during troubled economic times and with few early building projects.