Exporting architecture In the late sixties and early seventies, Chicago architects Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM) crafted the blueprint, literally, for the modern skyscraper with their designs for the John Hancock Center and Sears Tower. These days, SOM, along with other leading Chicago firms like bKL Architecture and Trahan Architects, are creating the global skyline of the future, especially across China, where they’re not only making buildings but they’re creating entire neighborhoods, such as the Beijing Bohai Innovation City (SOM), Beijing Core Area Plan (bKL) and Zhengzhou Mixed Use Development (Trahan).
