Press Release
Firstbank of Nigeria Headquarters by Marwan Zgheib Wins the Silver A' Design Award in Architecture, Building and Structure Design
Marwan Zgheib of Mz Architects honored for architecture, building and structure design by the international grand jury of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 24, 2026 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has confirmed the Silver A' Design Award in the Architecture, Building and Structure Design category for Firstbank of Nigeria Headquarters by Marwan Zgheib of Mz Architects. The result belongs to the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition and was decided through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who evaluated anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
About the Silver A' Design Award
The Silver A' Design Award celebrates top-tier designs that embody excellence and innovation. This award acknowledges creations that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also highly functional, reflecting the designer's deep understanding and skill. Silver A' Design Award recipients are recognized for their contribution to raising industry standards and advancing the practice of design. Their work often incorporates original innovations and elicits a strong emotional response, making a notable impact on the improvement of everyday life.
About Firstbank of Nigeria Headquarters
Firstbank of Nigeria is a corporate headquarters tower located in Eko Atlantic City, Lagos. The glass clad building rises 252 meters and offers 115,000 square meters of built-up area on a reclaimed shoreline. The slender form was shaped through wind studies and solar analysis to limit heat gain. High performance glazing and external shading create a climate responsive envelope suited to the tropical coastal setting. Smart building systems regulate light, temperature and energy use. Flexible office layouts and shared amenities support changing business needs.
About Mz Architects
MZ Architects is an award winning architecture firm founded and lead by Marwan Zgheib since 2002, with offices in Lebanon, Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
Award Record
With this recognition, Marwan Zgheib of Mz Architects is a winner of 19 A' Design Awards. The awards span the editions from 2012 - 2013 to 2025 - 2026 of the A' Design Award & Competition.
About the A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award
The A' Architecture Design Award is an international architectural design competition recognizing good architectural designs by best architects worldwide. The competition is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to architectural design studios, building contractors, structural engineering firms and architecture and design consultants from all countries. Entries typically include skyscrapers, museums, residential buildings, commercial complexes, educational institutions and religious structures. Awarded architectural projects are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/architecture
About A' Design Award & Competition
A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade organized annually since 2008. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The A' Design Award has a philanthropic mission to advance society through good design by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Entries are peer reviewed and anonymously evaluated by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. The A' Design Prize granted to eligible laureates includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, the upload of a work and the preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. Further information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://dezigners.org/178221
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/178221
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!178221
- Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/118244
- Further Information from the Laureate: http://www.mz-architects.com
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
###
Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Firstbank of Nigeria Headquarters
- Function
- Headquarters
- Category
- Architecture, Building and Structure Design
- Discipline
- Spatial Design
- Industry
- Architecture
- Colors
- Dark Slate Blue, Midnight Blue, Slate Gray, Black and Light Slate Gray
- Images
- 5
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Marwan Zgheib
- Country
- Lebanon
- Brand
- Mz Architects
- Recognition
- Silver A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2025 - 2026
- Design ID
- #178221
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- A sculpted, glass-clad tower rising from Eko Atlantic’s reclaimed shoreline, the FBN Headquarters merges environmental intelligence with corporate identity. Its slender form, high-performance facade, and green-certified systems create a climate-responsive landmark that symbolizes institutional evolution while redefining Lagos’s vertical and coastal urban future.
- Inspiration
- Inspired by the meeting of land, ocean, and sky at Eko Atlantic, the tower draws from the fluidity of the shoreline and the clarity of modern finance. Its vertical form reflects resilience, transparency, and renewal, translating First Bank’s legacy into an architecture shaped by light, horizon, and aspiration.
- Research
- Applied architectural research. Objective: to design a resilient, future-focused headquarters suited to Lagos’ coastal context. Methodology combined site analysis, climate studies, and iterative design development. Data were gathered through environmental assessments, performance simulations, and stakeholder consultations using digital modeling tools. Participants included architects, engineers, and client representatives. Results informed massing, façade, and sustainability strategies. Insights strengthened environmental performance, business identity, and long-term urban impact.
- Challenge
- The greatest creative challenge was designing a landmark tower that balances Lagos’ rapid urban growth with coastal environmental conditions. Internally, the design had to reflect cultural identity, corporate prestige, and user well-being. Externally, constraints included coastal wind loads, tropical climate, local building regulations, limited high-performance material options, and integrating advanced sustainable technologies. Iterative simulations and collaborative workshops overcame these obstacles to achieve an elegant, resilient, and functional design.
- Realization and Technology
- The design was developed through an integrated process combining environmental analysis, wind studies, and solar optimization to inform the tower’s massing and façade strategy. Multidisciplinary coordination guided the integration of structural and building systems. High-performance glazing, external shading, and energy-efficient solutions shaped a climate-responsive envelope tailored to Lagos’s coastal conditions and sustainability objectives.
- Operation and Interaction
- The tower is designed to operate intuitively, guiding visitors through clear, welcoming entrances into light-filled public and corporate spaces. Smart building systems automatically regulate light, temperature, and energy use, adapting to daily and seasonal changes. Flexible office layouts allow spaces to evolve with business needs, while shared amenities encourage interaction, productivity, and well-being. The result is a comfortable, efficient environment that performs seamlessly for employees and visitors alike.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project was launched in March 2025 and is located in Eko Atlantic City, Lagos, Nigeria.
- Specifications
- Total height: 252 meters. Total built-up area: 115,000 square meters.
- Keywords
- High-rise architecture, Sustainable design, Climate-responsive façade, Mixed-use tower, Corporate headquarters, Eko Atlantic City, Parametric design, Green-certified building, Urban landmark, Innovative office design
