RMJM designs conjoined, twisting towers in Hengyang, China

After an international design competition, RMJM Shanghai was selected to design the Xiangjiang Gate in Hengyang, China. The project will be built at the confluence of the Xiang, Zheng, and Lishui rivers.

The mixed-use project will serve as a tourist information center and a monument with a panoramic viewing platform. The goal of the design was to step away from the traditional vision of a gate and move toward a more contemporary depiction.

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The 580-foot-tall tower’s design is also deeply rooted in the history of the city. From above, the central, twisting towers look like a narrow stream of water passing through two pieces of land, paying tribute to the geographical location of the city and to its “convergent spirit.” When viewed upside down, the building resembles a goose flying through the sky, an homage to ancient Chinese poetry that described Hengyang as a winter refuge for wild geese, earning the city the nickname “Wild Goose City.”

Hengyang is Hunan’s second largest city and has a fast-evolving tech hub. As such, the structural system of the Gate will reflect the highest level of contemporary structural engineering technology. The design embraces the local environment and forms an interaction between technology, climate, building materials, and human behavior. The glass curtain wall will use LED technology to illuminate it at night. The facade will also be used as a “window to the Xiangjiang culture,” radiating the lights, colors, and shadows of the seasons.