Much like OMA's daring design scheme for the CCTV Headquarters building, China's latest skyscraper, Guanghzou Circle, is meant to break away from the traditional skyscraper design ethos of the west—and it does so in dramatic fashion.
The 452-foot-tall, 914,000-sf building takes the shape of a giant doughnut, or more accurately described, a super-sized ribbon spool, with the floor space housed in a series of boxes suspended between two massive "wheels."
The project's architect, Milan-based Joseph di Pasquale Architect, drew inspiration from China's numerological tradition of feng shui, namely the jade bi-disk, which served as the royal symbol of the ancient Chinese dynasty that reigned in the area some 2,000 years ago. The architect describes the form as "an 'urban logo' that works as a reference in the panorama of the city, just as the characters are used instead of the alphabet in Chinese writing."
The interior houses office space and a trading floor for the Guangdong Plastics Exchange, the country's largest plastics trading floor, where some £30 billion worth of plastic raw materials and goods are traded annually, according to Sky News.
Related Stories
Cultural Facilities | Jul 16, 2015
Louisville group plans to build world's largest disco ball
The sphere would more than double the size of the current record holder.
Education Facilities | Jul 14, 2015
Chile selects architects for Subantarctic research center
Promoting ecological tourism is one of this facility’s goals
BIM and Information Technology | Jul 14, 2015
New city-modeling software quantifies the movement of urban dwellers
UNA for Rhino 3D helps determine the impact that urban design can have on where pedestrians go.
Industrial Facilities | Jul 14, 2015
Tesla may seek to double size of Gigafactory in Nevada
Tesla Motors purchased an additional 1,200 acres next to the Gigafactory and is looking to buy an additional 350 acres.
BIM and Information Technology | Jul 14, 2015
Nation’s first 'drone park' breaks ground in North Dakota
This is one of six testing sites around the country that are developing flight standards and evaluating the utility of drones for different tasks.
Sponsored | Building Team | Jul 10, 2015
Are you the wrong type of ‘engaged’ leader?
Much of what’s written about employee engagement focuses on how leaders can help their employees become more involved at work. But what about the leaders themselves?
Architects | Jul 9, 2015
NCARB: Record number of aspiring architects on path toward licensure
More than 37,170 design professionals either reported hours through the Intern Development Program or tested for the Architect Registration Examination last year, according to a new NCARB report.
Architects | Jul 7, 2015
Why AEC firms should be cultivating 'visible experts'
A new study pinpoints the true dollar value of having knowledge leaders and market shapers on your team.
Green | Jul 7, 2015
Philips sheds new light on growing fresh food indoors
A research center in The Netherlands is testing the latest techniques in urban farming.
BIM and Information Technology | Jul 6, 2015
BIM/VDC training is more than learning the features
Training can be a taxing experience for both the class and the instructor. CASE's Nathan Miller offers four ways to make training more relevant to practitioners.
