Alibaba, the world’s largest online retailer and e-commerce company, is set to receive a new signature office building in Shanghai courtesy of Foster + Partners. The building will showcase the company’s unique working culture to the public.
Situated at Xuhui Riverside, the building is formed around a central heart that opens up to create a large public urban room. The building is designed to be extremely transparent and includes an active social core with viewing terraces overlooking the central space.
The project’s unique building form has been guided by a design process that uses a genetic algorithm to evolve the optimal massing. The algorithm combines several aspects that are crucial to the project such as being highly responsive to the environmental conditions, maximizing outside views, and the specific area requirements for different functions. The massing is optimized to provide the best year-round user comfort in the central public space by protecting it from stronger winds in the winter and the harsh summer sun while creating tailored workspace solutions for the different departments at Alibaba.
Desk arrangements, break-out spaces, and meeting rooms are designed to encourage collaboration and teamwork with visual and physical connectivity encouraging interactions.
See Also: The Grand Canal Museum will tell the story of the world’s longest canal
“Our design emphasises the importance of communication, the integrity of the working community and above all, the creation of an image that reflects the standing of Alibaba,” said Luke Fox, Head of Studio, Foster + Partners, in a release. “The scheme is truly designed from the inside out, centred on a dynamic, sheltered public space capitalizing on its amazing location with its views of the Huangpu River and the Bund.”
The design will utilize off-site production for quality control, reducing wastage, and minimizing on-site operations to create an efficient construction program.
Related Stories
Reconstruction & Renovation | Jul 18, 2017
Mortenson Construction incorporates 100-year-old barn into new Portland office space
Mortenson deconstructed the barn and repurposed it for the new space.
Office Buildings | Jul 12, 2017
CetraRuddy unveils seven-story office building design for Staten Island’s Corporate Park
Corporate Commons Three is expected to break ground later this summer.
Sustainability | Jul 10, 2017
British Columbia receives its first WELL certified workplace courtesy of Perkins + Will
Over 100 wellness features are incorporated into CBRE’s Vancouver office.
Office Buildings | Jul 5, 2017
Do open offices work?
Whether for a team of 20 or 200, if today’s professionals are not currently working in an open office environment, a change is likely on the horizon.
Office Buildings | Jun 27, 2017
Bloomberg’s European headquarters wants to become a natural extension of London
Foster + Partners’ design rises 10 stories and is composed of two connected buildings.
Office Buildings | Jun 20, 2017
Mattress company’s new ‘BEDQuarters’ definitely won’t put employees to sleep
The HQ is packed with amenities and features to keep team members happy and engaged at work.
Building Team Awards | Jun 14, 2017
A space for all: Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired
Nonprofit HQ fitout improves functionality, accessibility for blind and low-vision individuals.
Office Buildings | Jun 13, 2017
WeWork takes on a construction management app provider
Fieldlens helps turn jobsites into social networks.
Building Team Awards | Jun 12, 2017
Texas technopark: TechnipFMC John T. Gremp Campus
Silver Award: TechnipFMC’s new campus marks the start of a massive planned community in north Houston.
Office Buildings | Jun 12, 2017
At 11.8 million-sf, LG Science Park is the largest new corporate research campus in the world
The project is currently 75% complete and on schedule to open in 2018.
