In Guangzhou, China, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) has designed the recently completed Star River Headquarters to minimize embodied carbon, reduce energy consumption, and create a healthy work environment. The 48-story tower is located in the business district on Guangzhou’s Pazhou Island.
The tower’s pleated façade ascends in a parabolic taper, which reduces wind loads while creating vertical planes of light and shadow. This design provides shading to reduce direct sunlight while at the same time allowing diffuse daylight to enter the interior spaces. In addition, the envelope’s high-performance curtain wall systems and thermal insulation reduce cooling loads and improve indoor comfort.
Building design features rounded corners, open floor plates
Individual bays formed by the pleats can accommodate both open and closed offices on the building’s perimeter. The building’s rounded corners are free of columns, creating open floor plates with views of the Pearl River.
Mullions that run the entire building height of 259.5 meters (851 feet) integrate operable panels, so occupants have direct access to fresh air. The building’s crown features a latticed structure containing a greenhouse with heritage plants and a pavilion with a reflecting pool.
The building is located on a public plaza with native landscaping and paved areas around the glass-enclosed lobby. The building’s canopy wraps around the base and extends above a retail building, forming a covered pedestrian arcade. This design also conceals the mechanical spaces on the block’s edge. Visitors can access the retail offerings and subway connection below grade.
The building management system includes environmental control standards, plant monitoring, and a user interface that allows for efficient operations.
On the Building Team:
Owner/developer: Guangzhou Star River Commercial Investment And Development Co, Ltd.
Design architect: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM)
Architect of record: Guangzhou Design Institution
MEP engineer and structural engineer: SOM
General contractor: Zhongtian Construction Group Co., Ltd.
Interior design: ChengChung + Design
Lighting design: Leox Design Partnership|
Façade consultant: Shanghai PFT Construction Consulting Co.
Related Stories
Office Buildings | Oct 23, 2019
London’s new ‘Can of Ham’ office building completes construction
Foggo Associates designed the building.
Office Buildings | Oct 21, 2019
IH Mississippi Valley Credit Union headquarters completes construction
LEO A Daly designed the building.
Office Buildings | Oct 17, 2019
New social campus for innovators, tech leaders covers a full city block
Hollwich Kushner, with Gensler as design development architects, designed the building.
Office Buildings | Oct 15, 2019
New 80,000-sf coworking space completes in Chicago
It is the third ‘Spaces’ location in Chicago.
Office Buildings | Oct 8, 2019
David Chipperfield Architects to design new Rolex USA headquarters
The project will replace the existing building that has been occupied by Rolex since the 1970s.
Healthcare Facilities | Oct 1, 2019
Medical offices are filling space vacated by retail
Healthcare developers and providers like the locations, traffic, and parking these spaces offer.
Office Buildings | Sep 25, 2019
'Catalyst' will be Washington’s first CLT office building
Katerra is the design builder for the project with Michael Green Architecture as the design architect.
Office Buildings | Sep 6, 2019
New office complex in Southern California strives to create a Silicon Valley-like campus vibe
FLIGHT at Tustin Legacy includes 100,000 sf of amenities, and is laid out to tie into the surrounding city.
Office Buildings | Sep 3, 2019
A new HOK report focuses on designing offices for a neurodiverse workforce
Emphasizing inclusion and choice is a key component.
Giants 400 | Aug 8, 2019
Top 110 Office Sector Construction Firms for 2019
Turner, STO Building Group, AECOM, Clayco, and Clark lead the rankings of the nation's largest office sector contractors and construction managers, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2019 Giants 300 Report.
