Structure magazine, a premier publication in the field of structural engineering, has published an article by SOM Principal Aaron Mazeika in its June 2024 issue. Titled “Evolution of the Braced Tube,” the article traces the history and evolution of an influential structural engineering concept first developed by SOM engineers in the 1960s. From its first application in Chicago skyscrapers—including, most famously, 875 North Michigan Avenue (formerly the John Hancock Center) in 1968—the braced-tube structural system opened a new era of efficient high-rise design.

Mazeika’s article describes how architects and engineers at SOM have continued to adapt and improve upon this innovative structural system over the last 50 years—a lineage that includes recently completed projects such as 100 Mount Street in Sydney and 800 Fulton Market in Chicago.