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 | Jul 15, 2015
BIG’s design for Philadelphia Navy Yard defies gravity
Ground has broken for 1200 Interpid, a 94,000-sf office building designed by BIG that appears to be leaning.
High-rise Construction | Jul 13, 2015
Herzog & de Meuron’s triangle tower stirs controversy in Paris
The 590-foot glass pyramid building will include a 120-room hotel, 754,000 sf of office space, and cultural facilities.
High-rise Construction | Jul 7, 2015
Bjarke Ingels designs Frankfurt skyscraper with a surprise in the middle
Several levels in the center of the 185-meter tower are shifted outward to allow for terraces with city views.
Office Buildings | Jun 30, 2015
'What’s the latest trend in workplace design?': How architects and designers should answer this hot-button question
Hint: Your response must be better than a laundry list of solutions, according to VOA Associates' John Varholak.
Museums | Jun 28, 2015
Manhattan's New Museum debuts first museum-led incubator space
Part studio, part shared workplace, part lab, and part professional development program, NEW INC connects design with technology, the arts with the market, students with seasoned practitioners, and the museum with the world.
High-rise Construction | Jun 23, 2015
The world's best new skyscrapers for 2015
One World Trade Center and Abu Dhabi's Burj Mohammed Bin Rashid Tower are among the four towers named Best Tall Buildings by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.
Office Buildings | Jun 18, 2015
How tech firms use real estate for competitive advantage
The tech sector is the top industry leasing office space in the U.S., accounting for 20% of major leasing activity in 2014. Dina Belon of Paladino and Company shares how these firms are using their real estate to go up against their competitors.
Office Buildings | Jun 17, 2015
Daniel Libeskind unveils 'talking towers' design for Rome development
The scheme will drastically change the Eternal City’s skyline: three angular towers that look like they’re “in conversation with one another.”
Office Buildings | Jun 12, 2015
Houston's energy sector keeps office construction humming
Colliers International projects continued expansion this year in its quarterly report on national office market.
Office Buildings | Jun 11, 2015
Pop-up tree-office opens in London borough of Hackney
London's Hackney borough welcomed a new kind of workspace to Hoxton Square—the TreexOffice.
