The Nexus Building, the focal point of PLP Architecture’s new masterplan in China’s Pearl River Delta, looks to feature a building that would be one of the world’s tallest, but the extreme height of the building, surprisingly, wouldn’t be its major defining feature.
According to Gizmag, PLP Architecture has split the building into three volumes, each one offset on equidistant axes, giving the structure the look of a giant Transformer in mid transformation. The firm says this type of configuration, while providing a unique and stunning aesthetic, will serve a functional purpose, as well. With a proposed height of 1,952 feet, this tripod-like design will be better equipped to deal with natural forces, such as high winds.
The three tiers will be angled to provide views of different surrounding areas. The lowest tier is made up of 44 stories and will face a nearby park. The middle volume will have 83 stories and be oriented toward the rest of the surrounding city. The top tier will offer 124 stories and provide views of the city and distant mountains.
The Nexus Building looks to redefine skyscraper design by forgoing traditional core-based design. Besides providing the building’s support, these pivot points, the points where each of the three tiers meet, also create wide open views. By not having a central core, there is no need for pillars and supports that take up interior space.
Each level has floor heights of 15 feet with wide open spaces and plenty of windows to offer “a real connection to nature and the outdoors,” PLP Architecture Founding Partner David Leventhal told Curbed.
The structure would consist mainly of office space but would have space for an eight-story retail podium and will be topped with a 14-story hotel.
With such a unique and innovative building design, the use of regular old elevators for transporting people around obviously wasn’t going to get the job done. Instead, office workers will get to various parts of the structure via shuttles that run on a schedule like trains. There will be express cars that will take people to the central floors where the tiers intersect where they can then transfer to other elevators to get to their final destination.
If this plan gets put into action, the earliest possible completion date wouldn’t be until at least 2020.
Rendering Courtesy of Luxigon
Rendering Courtesy of Luxigon
Rendering Courtesy of Tegmark
Rendering Courtesy of PLP Vyonyx
Rendering Courtesy of PLP Vyonyx
Related Stories
Products and Materials | Jan 18, 2023
6 innovative products for multifamily developments
Here are six innovative products for various multifamily developments, including a condominium-wide smart electrical system, heavy-duty aluminum doors, and prefabricated panels.
Cladding and Facade Systems | Dec 20, 2022
Acoustic design considerations at the building envelope
Acentech's Ben Markham identifies the primary concerns with acoustic performance at the building envelope and offers proven solutions for mitigating acoustic issues.
High-rise Construction | Dec 7, 2022
SOM reveals its design for Singapore’s tallest skyscraper
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) has revealed its design for 8 Shenton Way—a mixed-use tower that will stand 63 stories and 305 meters (1,000 feet) high, becoming Singapore’s tallest skyscraper. The design team also plans to make the building one of Asia’s most sustainable skyscrapers. The tower incorporates post-pandemic design features.
Mass Timber | Aug 30, 2022
Mass timber construction in 2022: From fringe to mainstream
Two Timberlab executives discuss the market for mass timber construction and their company's marketing and manufacturing strategies. Sam Dicke, Business Development Manager, and Erica Spiritos, Director of Preconstruction, Timberlab, speak with BD+C's John Caulfield.
Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2022
Top 90 Construction Management Firms for 2022
CBRE, Alfa Tech, Jacobs, and Hill International head the rankings of the nation's largest construction management (as agent) and program/project management firms for nonresidential and multifamily buildings work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2022
Top 200 Contractors for 2022
Turner Construction, STO Building Group, Whiting-Turner, and DPR Construction top the ranking of the nation's largest general contractors, CM at risk firms, and design-builders for nonresidential buildings and multifamily buildings work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2022
Top 45 Engineering Architecture Firms for 2022
Jacobs, AECOM, WSP, and Burns & McDonnell top the rankings of the nation's largest engineering architecture (EA) firms for nonresidential buildings and multifamily buildings work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2022
Top 80 Engineering Firms for 2022
Kimley-Horn, Tetra Tech, Langan, and NV5 head the rankings of the nation's largest engineering firms for nonresidential buildings and multifamily buildings work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
High-rise Construction | Aug 11, 2022
Saudi Arabia unveils plans for a one-building city stretching over 100 miles long
Saudi Arabia recently announced plans for an ambitious urban project called The Line—a one-building city in the desert that will stretch 170 kilometers (106 miles) long and only 200 meters (656 feet) wide.
Building Team | Jun 13, 2022
A mixed-used building to rise above Fort Lauderdale, with views of downtown and the ocean
ODA, a New York-based architecture and design studio, recently released renderings of Ombelle, a project including two residential towers in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
