The Chinese city of Shenzhen is often used as an example to illustrate the rapid transformation many Chinese cities have undergone in the past few decades. At one time a small fishing community of about 30,000 people, Shenzhen has become a massive city with a population exceeding 12 million. As the population began to rise, so too did the buildings. At the end of 2016, Shenzhen had eight buildings over 1,000 feet tall already constructed or topped out and dozens more over 500 feet tall.
While it may not be quite as rapid anymore, Shenzhen’s transformation is still taking place, and now, courtesy of Chicago-based architecture firm Goettsch Partners, the Chinese city will be getting two more skyscrapers in the form of the COFCO Qianhai Asia Pacific Headquarters complex.
Goettsch Partners recently won the design competition that was held for the complex with its two-tower design comprising 1.4-million sf of space in the Qianhai district. One tower will stand 200 meters and has been dubbed the COFCO Asia Pacific Tower. It will serve as the headquarters for the company’s Asia Pacific group. The second tower, named the Aviva-COFCO Financial Tower, is slightly shorter at 180 meters, and will provide space for the Aviva-COFCO Life Insurance Company.
Each tower is composed of several slender bars that step back to reveal a series of internal atria and a sky terrace in the upper zones. Both of the towers’ glass curtain walls are designed specifically for the buildings in order to accentuate their verticality, according to the architect. The curtain walls also provide solar shading and natural ventilation via operable windows hidden behind perforated metal panels.
The complex is designed to link the green belt to the east with nearby office towers, using both interior and exterior paths to allow the public to easily pass through the site.
Each towers’ upper zone is reserved for use as COFCO headquarters. Each floor in this zone is connected by a large internal atrium from the main lobby up to the 300-sm sky terrace that offers outdoor amenity space at the top of each tower.
Construction on the complex is scheduled to being this summer.
Rendering courtesy of Goettsch Partners.
Rendering courtesy of Goettsch Partners.
Rendering courtesy of Goettsch Partners.
Related Stories
Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2023
2023 Giants 400 Report: Ranking the nation's largest architecture, engineering, and construction firms
A record 552 AEC firms submitted data for BD+C's 2023 Giants 400 Report. The final report includes 137 rankings across 25 building sectors and specialty categories.
Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2023
Top 175 Architecture Firms for 2023
Gensler, HKS, Perkins&Will, Corgan, and Perkins Eastman top the rankings of the nation's largest architecture firms for nonresidential building and multifamily housing work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.
Sustainability | Aug 15, 2023
Carbon management platform offers free carbon emissions assessment for NYC buildings
nZero, developer of a real-time carbon accounting and management platform, is offering free carbon emissions assessments for buildings in New York City. The offer is intended to help building owners prepare for the city’s upcoming Local Law 97 reporting requirements and compliance. This law will soon assess monetary fines for buildings with emissions that are in non-compliance.
Office Buildings | Aug 14, 2023
The programmatic evolution of the lobby
Ian Reves, Managing Director for IA's Atlanta studio, shares how design can shape a lobby into an office mainstay.
Office Buildings | Aug 10, 2023
Bjarke Ingels Group and Skanska to deliver 1550 on the Green, one of the most sustainable buildings in Texas
In downtown Houston, Skanska USA’s 1550 on the Green, a 28-story, 375,000-sf office tower, aims to be one of Texas’ most sustainable buildings. The $225 million project has deployed various sustainable building materials, such as less carbon-intensive cement, to target 60% reduced embodied carbon.
MFPRO+ New Projects | Aug 4, 2023
Nashville gets 'first-of-its-kind' residential tower
Global architecture firm Goettsch Partners announces the completion of Alcove, a new 356-unit residential tower in Nashville, Tenn., developed by Giarratana LLC.
MFPRO+ New Projects | Jul 27, 2023
OMA, Beyer Blinder Belle design a pair of sculptural residential towers in Brooklyn
Eagle + West, composed of two sculptural residential towers with complementary shapes, have added 745 rental units to a post-industrial waterfront in Brooklyn, N.Y. Rising from a mixed-use podium on an expansive site, the towers include luxury penthouses on the top floors, numerous market rate rental units, and 30% of units designated for affordable housing.
High-rise Construction | Jul 26, 2023
A 33-story Singapore tower aims to reimagine work with restorative, outdoor spaces
Architecture firm NBBJ has unveiled design details for Keppel South Central, a commercial tower in Singapore. The project, which is slated for completion in late 2024, will transform the original Keppel Towers into a 33-story, energy-efficient building that aims to reimagine work by providing restorative spaces and connections to the outdoors.
High-rise Construction | Jul 25, 2023
World's largest market-rate, Phius Design-certified multifamily high-rise begins leasing
The Phius standard represents a "sweet spot" for aggressive decarbonization and energy reduction, while remaining cost-effective.
Sponsored | Fire and Life Safety | Jul 12, 2023
Fire safety considerations for cantilevered buildings [AIA course]
Bold cantilevered designs are prevalent today, as developers and architects strive to maximize space, views, and natural light in buildings. Cantilevered structures, however, present a host of challenges for building teams, according to José R. Rivera, PE, Associate Principal and Director of Plumbing and Fire Protection with Lilker.
