The ninth annual ACI Excellence in Concrete Construction Awards showcased dozens of innovative concrete projects from around the world.

The “Overall Excellence” award was presented to Quay Quarter Tower, located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The winning concrete project also received first place in the repair and restoration structures category at the ACI Excellence in Concrete Construction Awards during the ACI Concrete Convention on Monday, October 30, 2023.

Located in the Central Business District of Sydney, Australia, Quay Quarter Tower is the world’s tallest adaptive reuse project. Adaptive reuse refers to a transformation of use from a building’s original purpose, while preserving its architectural and cultural heritage. In the case of Quay Quarter Tower, a 45-year-old concrete building was repurposed with partial demolition and the addition of new elements—expanding both the ground width and height of the original structure. The new upcycled tower is a 709 feet tall building using a mixture of material solutions that extend service life until 2070. The project overcame unprecedented structural engineering challenges with innovative solutions that have set a new global standard for the effective conservation and lifetime extension of tall concrete buildings. Through a rigorous assessment and verification process, this project is the world’s first example of the adaptive reuse of a concrete skyscraper. 

“The project was both innovative and creative, including adaptive reuse of an existing high-rise building,” stated Overall Excellence judge Ronald G. Burg. “The project team of architects, engineers, and contractors addressed many unique challenges to deliver a world-class sustainable building.”

The awards were created to honor the visions of the most creative projects in the concrete industry, while providing a platform to recognize concrete innovation, technology, and excellence across the globe. To be eligible for participation in the ACI Excellence in Concrete Construction Awards, projects need to be nominated by an ACI Chapter, International Partner, or selected through self-nomination.

In addition to the highest honor, the “Overall Excellence” award, which was presented to the Quay Quarter Tower, additional projects recognized during the ACI Excellence in Concrete Construction Awards include:

• Repair & Restoration
  • 1^st Place:  Quay Quarter Tower, in New South Wales, Australia.
  • 2^nd Place: University of British Columbia MacLeod Engineering Building Renewal, Vancouver Campus, in Vancouver, British Columbia.
• Decorative Concrete
  • 1^st Place:  North Bend Torguson Skatepark, in North Bend, WA, USA.
  • 2^nd Place: Block G-1, in Tampa, FL, USA.
• Low-Rise Structures
  • 1^st Place:  Bou You Rou, Sakai-shi, in Fukui, Japan.
  • 2^nd Place: Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad; Biomedical Engineering, Biotechnology, and Management Building, in Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
• Mid-Rise Structures
  • 1^st Place:  Centro Cívico Universitario – Bloque Rgd (University Civic Center), in Cundinamarca, Bogotá, Colombia.
  • 2^nd Place: University of California San Francisco Nancy Friend Pritzker Psychiatry Building, in San Francisco, CA, USA.
• High-Rise Structures
  • 1^st Place:  Salesforce Tower Chicago, in Chicago, IL, USA
  • 2^nd Place: The Reed at Southbank, in Chicago, IL, USA.
• Infrastructure
  • 1^st Place:  I-74 Mississippi River Bridge, in Bettendorf, IA, USA
  • 2^nd Place: Sixth Street Viaduct Replacement Project, in Los Angeles, CA, USA.
• Flatwork
  • 1^st Place:  Mountain Pass Lodge and Sliding Sports Facility, in Lake Placid, NY, USA
  • 2^nd Place: 11601 Wilshire, in Los Angeles, CA, USA.
  • Honorable Mention: Bi-State Development Concrete Overlays, in St. Louis, MO, USA.

The winning project details can be found at ACIExcellence.org. Entries for the 2024 ACI Excellence in Concrete Construction Awards are being accepted now through April 29, 2024. 

You can also vote for the 2023 People’s Choice Award – an audience-driven award for the ACI Excellence in Concrete Construction Awards. Beginning October 30 and ending November 30, 2023, participants can judge and vote for their favorite concrete project entered in this year’s ACI Excellence in Concrete Construction Awards. Following the completion of the voting period on November 30, the American Concrete Institute will announce the winning project of the People’s Choice Award on ACI’s official social media pages.

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