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
Office Buildings | Feb 2, 2017
3 tips for designing workplaces that support culture, brand, and community
An authentic culture cannot be forced, but can be encouraged and supported.
Office Buildings | Dec 14, 2016
The importance of 'Place' in the workplace
More, and more, companies are emphasizing the importance of creating a meaningful sense of place in the office environment for all of their employees, writes Gensler's Kevin Rosenstein.
High-rise Construction | Dec 13, 2016
The tallest building in Manhattan’s Meatpacking district tops out
The office, designed by CetraRuddy, will be completed in 2017.
| Dec 6, 2016
Workplace pilots: Test. Learn. Build
Differentiated from mock-ups or beta sites, workplace pilots are small scale built work environments, where an organization’s employees permanently reside and work on a daily basis.
Office Buildings | Dec 6, 2016
eBay’s San Jose headquarters has a new interactive hub and welcome center named Main Street
The campus’s new ‘front door’ is designed to immerse visitors and employees into the company’s global commerce.
Office Buildings | Nov 16, 2016
Bjarke Ingels Group and Heatherwick Studios confirmed as architects for Google’s new London Headquarters
The headquarters will be located at Kings Cross, London.
Office Buildings | Nov 15, 2016
Under Armour unveils phase one of 50-acre Baltimore headquarters
The campus will be located in Baltimore’s $5.5 billion Port Covington redevelopment project.
Office Buildings | Nov 14, 2016
Media’s adaptive shift: Converged environments
The converged environment is a live-streaming workplace, a zone where news and content flow continuously and speed to market is everything.
High-rise Construction | Nov 3, 2016
Two identical Kohn Pederson Fox office towers may be headed to Wacker Drive
Murphy Development Group is looking for tenants for the $800 million project.
Office Buildings | Nov 2, 2016
The first completed office building from Bjarke Ingels Group features a double-curved façade and giant periscope
The building also marks the first BIG project in Philadelphia.
