Guangxi China Resources Tower, a new 403-meter-tall (1,322 feet) skyscraper in Nanning, China features the world’s highest outdoor pool—at 323 meters (1,060 feet) above grade. The tower is the 18th tallest building in China and the 37th tallest in the world.
The architecture was inspired by the crystalline forms associated with the mountains of Guangxi. The structure’s faceted and fragmented geometry provides a multitude of surfaces that reflect the changing light qualities of the tropical sky. The character of the tower changes throughout the day, mirroring the mood of the city.
Horizontal sunshades delicately extend across the façade in a consistent texture, shading the floor-to-ceiling glass of the building’s interior spaces. This simple clarity of the façade results in a cohesive legibility of its angular geometry and creates a bold contrast to both the lush vegetation of the region and the surrounding mixture of architectural styles, according to a news release from Goettsch Partners (GP), the project’s design architect.
The 86-story tower anchors a 900,000-square-meter multifunctional transit-oriented development of retail, commercial office, residential, and luxury hospitality. The high-rise totals 272,260 square meters, composed of the 336-key Shangri-La Nanning hotel, 172,740 square meters of office space, and 5,930 square meters of retail space.
Located on the lower floors, the office program is distinguished with a single-sided taper of the south façade that strategically reduces the floor plate depths as the tower rises in response to the stepping core. Atop the office volume, a dramatic shift in the building profile occurs as the hotel program emerges. A terrace at Level 71 caps the lower volume and creates a unique outdoor sky space, featuring the hotel pool. Dramatic views of the surrounding lakes, parks, and mountains extend in all directions, enlivened by the 180-degree view from sunrise to sunset.
The complex includes interconnected podium and basement floors that form a cohesive network of buildings optimized to benefit the larger master planned development. External sunshades and a high-performance façade enclosure system help to reduce energy loads while delivering natural light and exceptional views to all floors. Optimized mechanical systems maximize the efficiency to minimize energy and water consumption while creating a comfortable indoor environment.
On the Building Team:
Owner and/or developer: China Resources Land Limited (CR Land)
Design architect: Goettsch Partners
Architect of record: CCDI Group
MEP engineer: Parsons Brinkerhoff
Structural engineer: RBS Architectural Engineering Design Associates
General contractor/construction manager: China Construction Eighth Engineering Division
Related Stories
Women in Design+Construction | Mar 21, 2023
Two leading women in construction events unite in 2023
The new Women in Residential + Commercial Construction Conference (WIR+CC) will take place in Nashville, Tenn., October 25-27, 2023. Combining these two long-standing events aligns with our mission to create an event most impactful for women in the $1.4 trillion U.S. commercial and residential design and construction industry.
Building Team | Mar 8, 2023
Call for Speakers: BD+C’s 2023 Women in Residential + Commercial Construction Conference
The 2023 Women in Residential + Commercial Construction conference event will take place October 25-27 in Nashville, Tenn., and will bring together more than 300 women leaders from all facets of the $1.4 trillion U.S. residential and commercial constructing sector.
Industry Research | Mar 2, 2023
Watch: Findings from Gensler's latest workplace survey of 2,000 office workers
Gensler's Janet Pogue McLaurin discusses the findings in the firm's 2022 Workplace Survey, based on responses from more than 2,000 workers in 10 industry sectors.
Museums | Jan 18, 2023
Building memory: Why interpretive centers matter in an era of social change
The last few years have borne witness to some of the most rapid cultural shifts in our nation’s long history. If the experience has taught us anything, it is that we must find a way to keep our history in view, while also putting it in perspective.
Hotel Facilities | Nov 8, 2022
6 hotel design trends for 2022-2023
Personalization of the hotel guest experience shapes new construction and renovation, say architects and construction experts in this sector.
Resiliency | Nov 8, 2022
Oregon wildfire risk law prompts extensive backlash from property owners
A bipartisan bill aimed at protecting property owners from wildfires that was passed by the Oregon legislature has prompted a strong backlash.
Building Team | Nov 7, 2022
U.S. commercial buildings decreased energy use intensity from 2012 to 2018
The recently released 2018 Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) by the U.S. Energy Information Administration found that the total floorspace in commercial buildings has increased but energy consumption has not, compared with the last survey analyzing the landscape in 2012.
Building Team | Nov 3, 2022
More than half of U.S. contractors say finding skilled workers is big barrier to their growth
More than half of U.S. contractors (55%) say finding enough skilled workers is one of the biggest barriers to growing their business, according to a DEWALT Powering the Future Survey.
Codes and Standards | Nov 2, 2022
New York City construction official wants to boost design-build
The new associate commissioner of alternative delivery in New York City’s Department of Design and Construction aims to encourage more design-build project delivery in the city.
University Buildings | Nov 2, 2022
New Univ. of Calif. Riverside business school building will support hybrid learning
A design-build partnership of Moore Ruble Yudell and McCarthy Building Companies will collaborate on a new business school building at the University of California at Riverside.
