World's best tall buildings honored at the CVU 2026 Award of Excellence

The Council on Vertical Urbanism, formerly known as the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, has unveiled the winners of its 2026 Award of Excellence. The annual award series seeks to honor “projects, concepts and initiatives that exemplify new directions in vertical urbanism across the globe.”

The 73 projects comprising this year's winners span 20 countries and 20 categories. According to the organizers, the 2026 high-rises “reflect a growing emphasis on adaptability, interdisciplinary thinking and long-term urban value.” 

“What distinguished this year’s winners was not simply technical achievement or architectural ambition, but clarity of purpose,” CVU CEO Javier Quintana de Uña shared. “These projects demonstrate a deeper understanding of what cities now require: flexibility under changing conditions, intelligent resource use, cutting-edge technology integration, meaningful public engagement, and development strategies capable of delivering lasting social and environmental ...