First prize in a 50,000 USD contest to design the Vietnam Oil and Gas Tower has been won by US firm Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects.

PetroVietnam Construction Joint Stock Company (PVX) announced the chosen design of the tower, an international symbol of the Vietnamese oil and gas industry, on March 30.

The 79-storey tower, set to be Hanoi’s highest building, symbolises the 79-year lifespan of President Ho Chi Minh.

The Oil and Gas Tower will be built on a 6.5 ha area in Me Tri commune, in the Tu Liem district of Hanoi in 2012 and completed in 2015, using modern, environmentally friendly technology and will be capable of withstanding earthquakes of up to magnitude 7.0 on the Richter scale.

Pelli Clarke Pelli was also the designer of the Twin Petronas Tower in Malaysia./.