The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) 175th Anniversary

The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has been developing excellence and promoting the importance of the built environment for 175 years in 2009.

To represent the influence its 40,000 international members have had on the global skyline since 1834, the CIOB has designed a special logo profiling some of the most iconic structures in the world.

Click on the left and right arrows below to learn more about these buildings and the CIOB members that contributed to their construction...

Click here to return to the main CIOB website

The Palace of Westminster and Nelson's Column

Sir Samuel Morton Peto Bt (1809–1889) was one of the founder members of the CIOB. His firm, Grissell & Peto, worked on several major projects in London. These included the new Palace of Westminster, which was rebuilt following a fire in 1834 that nearly destroyed the Houses of Parliament, and Nelson's Column. The Grade I-listed monument was constructed between 1840 and 1843 as a memorial to Admiral Horatio Nelson and his victory at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

Tower Bridge, London

Sir Herbert Henry Bartlett Bt (1842–1921), president of the CIOB from 1892–93, was one of five major contractors involved in building London's Tower Bridge. At the time, it was the largest and most sophisticated bascule bridge ever built; construction began in 1886 and it took eight years to complete. The project achieved an exemplary health and safety record by the standards of the period.

The Petronas Twin Towers, Kuala Lumpur

The Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, completed in 1998, are the world's tallest twin buildings. CIOB trustee and fellow Alan Crane CBE (b. 1945) project managed the construction of the towers, each of which was built by a different contractor. An emphasis on sustainability meant that local materials were used in over 60 per cent of the towers' structure.

Sydney Opera House, Sydney

Australia's Sydney Opera House is one of the twentieth century's most distinctive buildings and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Sir Ove Arup CBE (1895–1988), CIOB honorary fellow and founder of Arup, was involved in its creation from 1957 until the official opening in 1973. The project was one of the first to use computerised structural analysis in building design, for the complex geometry of the roof 'shells'.

One Canada Square, London

Crane was again in charge for the construction of One Canada Square, the UK's tallest building and a symbol of the London Docklands regeneration programme. The skyscraper, completed in 1991, is the centrepiece of the Canary Wharf financial district, a development of unprecedented scale for which Crane had project responsibility.

Millennium Dome, London

London's Millennium Dome, completed in 1999 and now known as the O2, was originally built to celebrate the beginning of the third millennium. CIOB fellow Bernard Ainsworth (b. 1947) was the project director for the large dome-shaped structure, which is the largest of its type in the world.

National Stadium, Beijing

China's Beijing 'Bird's Nest' National Stadium, the world's largest steel structure, was created for the 2008 Olympics and Paralympics. The irregular steel sections, inspired by Chinese artwork and pottery, comprised 7,500 elements and required structural engineer Arup to apply advanced computer analysis to individually design each one. A number of Chinese CIOB members were involved in key leadership positions in the delivery of the stadium and other Olympic projects.

World Financial Center, Shanghai

The Shanghai World Financial Center, China, is the highest mixed-use skyscraper and the second tallest building in the world. It is a symbol of redevelopment in the city and, as a result of its unique design, has become an Asian landmark. Construction began in 1997 and it was completed in 2008.