Hanking Center, an 1,180-foot-tall mixed-use complex with a commercial office tower and retail center, has completed in Shenzhen, China. The 65-story tower is currently the tallest detached-core building in the world.
The slender profile of the tower emerges above a low-rise retail podium that features angled facets, shadowing the form of the tower above. A series of glass sky bridges and steel mega-braces knit the offset core to the main body of the tower. At ground level, the Center is accessible by multiple entrances and is set within a landscaped public plaza, ensuring a permeable site that invites the public into the retail podium.
The tower’s steel structural system and detached-core configuration, which positions the tower’s primary core on the building’s exterior, promotes higher efficiency and adaptability of interior floor plates. This enhances the tower’s ability to service the varying needs of its occupants. The detached-core configuration also allows for an innovative approach to internal circulation and the creation of social and work spaces that integrate public and private domains. Two secondary cores in the body provide additional structural reinforcement and house mechanical services such as freight and VIP elevators.
By shifting the primary movement and service core outside the main body of the tower, the design minimizes the building’s structural footprint while maximizing open spaces inside the tower. The exoskeletal frame bends and straightens to expand and contract interior floor sizes.
The open floor plates allow for enhanced natural light and airflow. Tenants move from circulation around the core to quieter perimeter offices, creating a public to private gradient. Folded angles are used to merge public components in the podium with private commercial space in the tower. Inside the retail podium, a tapered atrium draws natural light down into the mall creating an inviting interior environment for the public. A grand plaza and dimensional hardscape surrounds the tower’s podium to create a new neighborhood landmark that enhances public activity at the street level.
The project completed in 2018 with a gradual opening that continued into 2021.
Related Stories
| Aug 11, 2010
Accor North America launches green hotel pilot program
Accor North America, a division of Accor Hospitality, has announced that it will pilot the Green Key Eco-Rating Program within its portfolio in the United States in 2010. Green Key is the first program of its kind to rank, certify and inspect hotels and resorts based on their commitment to sustainable "green" practices; the Accor North America pilot will involve 20 properties.
| Aug 11, 2010
CTBUH changes height criteria; Burj Dubai height increases, others decrease
The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH)—the international body that arbitrates on tall building height and determines the title of “The World’s Tallest Building”—has announced a change to its height criteria, as a reflection of recent developments with several super-tall buildings.
| Aug 11, 2010
Jacobs, Arup, AECOM top BD+C's ranking of the nation's 75 largest international design firms
A ranking of the Top 75 International Design Firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
See what $3,000 a month will get you at Chicago’s Aqua Tower
Magellan Development Group has opened three display models for the rental portion of Chicago’s highly anticipated Aqua Tower, designed by Jeanne Gang. Lease rates range from $1,498 for a studio to $3,111 for a two-bedroom unit with lake views.
| Aug 11, 2010
Architecture Billings Index flat in May, according to AIA
After a slight decline in April, the Architecture Billings Index was up a tenth of a point to 42.9 in May. As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine to twelve month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending. Any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings.
| Aug 11, 2010
Construction employment declined in 333 of 352 metro areas in June
Construction employment declined in all but 19 communities nationwide this June as compared to June-2008, according to a new analysis of metropolitan-area employment data released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. The analysis shows that few places in America have been spared the widespread downturn in construction employment over the past year.
| Aug 11, 2010
Casino Queen breaks ground on $2.15 million entertainment venue
The Casino Queen in East St. Louis, Ill., is raising the stakes in its bid to capture a larger share of the local gaming market with the start of construction on a new $2.15 million sports bar and entertainment venue that will enhance the overall experience for guests.
| Aug 11, 2010
Outdated office tower becomes Nashville’s newest boutique hotel
A 1960s office tower in Nashville, Tenn., has been converted into a 248-room, four-star boutique hotel. Designed by Earl Swensson Associates, with PowerStrip Studio as interior designer, the newly converted Hutton Hotel features 54 suites, two penthouse apartments, 13,600 sf of meeting space, and seven “cardio” rooms.
