Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) is a global practice of architects, engineers, and planners renowned for designing buildings, interiors, and public spaces that push the boundaries of technical and environmental innovation. A carbon-neutral firm, SOM’s highly collaborative and interdisciplinary teams work across international studios to deliver projects of lasting cultural and civic impact. SOM’s cultural portfolio spans museums, performance spaces, and cultural centers that serve as landmarks for education, engagement, and exchange. The firm has created new architectural identities for institutions such as the National Museum of the United States Army in Virginia. It has also developed graphic design and wayfinding for the Oakland Museum of California and the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, and is now co-leading the largest-ever revitalization of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden with Selldorf Architects, modernizing its galleries, public spaces, and infrastructure while enhancing accessibility, sustainability, and visitor experience. In Los Angeles, SOM is serving as the architect of record for the new David Geffen Galleries at LACMA, a project led by Atelier Peter Zumthor.
As structural engineers, SOM has helped realize ambitious cultural projects in collaboration with leading artists and architects. These include the Pablo Picasso sculpture in Daley Plaza in Chicago, large-scale public installations with Janet Echelman, the Glenstone Museum of Art in Maryland with Thomas Phifer & Partners and Peter Walker & Partners, and Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.