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. +
Related Stories
| Jul 12, 2013
12 award-winning healthcare projects [slideshow]
AIA's Academy of Architecture for Health announced the recipients of the 2013 AIA National Healthcare Design Awards.
| Jul 11, 2013
Bill to borrow more for college spending in Michigan criticized due to ‘higher-ed bubble’
An amendment to a Michigan appropriations budget authorizes an increase in state debt to pay for state university construction projects. But some experts see a “higher education bubble” on the horizon, and said more taxpayer debt for more buildings is a bad idea.
| Jul 11, 2013
Skanska exits U.S. Chamber of Commerce over LEED controversy
Skanska USA resigned from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce over the Chamber’s decision to support the American High-Performance Buildings Coalition.
| Jul 11, 2013
DOE releases stricter energy efficiency standards for new federal buildings taking effect in 2014
The Energy Department released stricter energy efficiency standards this month for new federal buildings.
| Jul 11, 2013
Pennsylvania legislators work on bill to update demolition codes following fatal building collapse
Pennsylvania lawmakers are working on a bill to update demolition codes, in the wake of a fatal building collapse in Philadelphia in June.
| Jul 11, 2013
Lawsuit challenges modular apartment project in New York City
A plan to build pre-fab apartment buildings at Atlantic Yards in Brooklyn, N.Y., has been challenged by a lawsuit filed by the Plumbing Foundation in Manhattan Supreme Court.
| Jul 10, 2013
SmithGroupJJR hires Don Posson as Co-director of Sustainable Design
SmithGroupJJR has hired veteran mechanical engineer Don Posson, PE, CCP, CPD, LEED AP, as the firm’s co-director of sustainable design.
| Jul 10, 2013
World's best new skyscrapers [slideshow]
The Bow in Calgary and CCTV Headquarters in Beijing are among the world's best new high-rise projects, according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.
| Jul 10, 2013
TED talk: Architect Michael Green on why we should build tomorrow's skyscrapers out of wood
In a newly posted TED talk, wood skyscraper expert Michael Green makes the case for building the next-generation of mid- and high-rise buildings out of wood.
| Jul 9, 2013
Where are they now? 40 Under 40 alumni make their mark in D.C.
Every month we’ll be touching base with past 40 Under 40 honorees to see what’s been happening in their professional and personal lives since winning the award. This month, we feature two outstanding professionals: HKS's Shannon Kraus and Roger Chang from Westlake Reed Leskosky.
