Goettsch Partners designs new tower in Shunde, China

Architecture firm Goettsch Partners (GP) has designed the new Poly Business Tower in Shunde, China. Totaling 110,000 square meters, the project is one of several current assignments between GP and leading Chinese developer Poly Real Estate (Group) Co., Ltd. Other office, hotel and mixed-use developments are located in the cities of Chengdu, Deyang and Guangzhou.

The new tower in Shunde will be the tallest structure in the area, at a height of 200 meters, and will be a centerpiece of the business district. It will add valuable Class A office space and will be in close proximity to various cultural and government facilities in the city, making the structure a critical venue and focal point.

GP’s concept was to create an efficient, modern tower that integrates features of the local culture into the architectural expression of the building. Particularly inspired by the “pinwheel” patterns commonly found in the regional screens and paving, the tower’s planning and façade articulation are designed to showcase this traditional vernacular. Pinwheel-patterned perforated screens extend the full height of the tower in order to provide shading; more importantly though, they integrate and conceal fresh-air ventilation for all office floors. These screens, in conjunction with automated energy controls, high-performance glazing and vertical shading devices, create an energy-efficient skin that also provides floor-to-ceiling glass for all office users.

A multi-story winter garden is designed for the top of the structure, offering unobstructed views of the surroundings in all directions. This signature space will be lit at night to create a new beacon that provides identity for the Shunde business district. At the base, the tower is seated at the head of a ceremonial garden. The four-sided lobby is designed to engage the landscape, blurring the distinction between interior and exterior space while intuitively segregating vehicular and pedestrian circulation around the perimeter of the building.

Completion of the development is scheduled for 2014. +

It’s no accident that the word “Highline” is in this project’s name. The goal is for the building to be a kind of gateway into the larger redevelopment of the surrounding neighborhood to resemble New York’s City’s trendy downtown Meatpacking District, through which runs a portion the High Line elevated park.

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