Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
by Code and Theory
Award Level: Webby Nominee
Category Name: Architecture, Art & Design
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“In practice, website development often forces a tradeoff: a powerful backend paired with a mediocre-looking frontend, or a beautiful frontend sitting on a simplistic backend. With this project, we got both: a truly robust backend and a beautiful, elegant frontend.”
—Slobodan Dabovic, Principal Engineer, Code and Theory
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With a structured content system that connects projects, people, research and insights into a cohesive ecosystem, SOM's new site delivers high-resolution architectural imagery with faster load times and a smoother browsing experience.
The challenge
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) has been a global leader in architectural and engineering excellence for more than 80 years. Known for shaping iconic skylines and building some of the world’s most impressive structures, including the Sears Tower, its digital architecture lagged behind its real-world architecture. The legacy site was rigid and cumbersome, flattening the innovative ideas of a multidisciplinary firm into a static project portfolio.
SOM sought out Code and Theory to help it showcase the humanity, research, and collaborative spirit behind its work. The goal was to migrate a massive, image-heavy portfolio to a performant, modern platform to create a more sophisticated digital presence for SOM.
The solution
Code and Theory built a flexible content structure that better connects SOM’s real-world projects with the people, research, and insights they are born from. Using WordPressⓇ and WP Engine, Code and Theory engineered an experience that handles a massive library of high-resolution architectural imagery while maintaining seamless performance.
A responsive, multi-language design ensures SOM’s vision of innovation is accessible across all devices and borders. Editorial teams now use the block editor for a simple publishing interface when highlighting the firm’s creative process, from initial research to final structure.
The results
The new site has a clean, scalable content structure that improves publishing workflows for easy long-term maintainability. Its timeless design easily delivers high-resolution images for a smoother browsing experience that encourages viewers to explore the firm’s projects, research, and exhibitions.
The redefined digital presence earned a Webby Award nomination for its sophisticated blend of form and function. SOM now has a digital home to showcase its work, share its artistic approach to architecture, and record its tenacious research as it continues to reshape how builders think about developing captivating physical experiences.
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