Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), the Shenzhen Rural Commercial Bank Headquarters centers on sustainability and wellness with its bold integration of architecture, structure, and environmental engineering
Fact File
Architecture and Design: SOM
Location: Shenzhen, China
Completion: 2021
Client: Rural Commercial Bank
Project Area: 94,049 sqm
Building Height: 158 m
Number of stories: 33
Photo Credit: Seth Powers Photography
Located on the edge of a public park at the center of one of Shenzhen’s key business districts, the 158-meter-tall, 33-story tower responds to the region’s tropical climate through a series of biophilic and sustainable design solutions.
The design inspiration is drawn from natural systems and elements like earth, water and air. These are evident in features like the multistory rain curtain in the main lobby, the striated marble cladding the tower’s elevator core, and the natural ventilation system that brings fresh air in the building.
The lobby is encircled by a reflecting pool and features a rippling wall of water adjacent to the main entrance. A 15-meter-high rain curtain with droplets of water that cascade down small translucent filaments, lines the lobby’s ultra-transparent glass walls. Above, suspended lighting fixtures mimic droplets of rain and the lobby’s marble walls shift from a textured to honed finish to evoke water’s effect on stone.
The tower’s façade is defined by an external diagrid, which serves as both the building’s structure as well as an important solar shading element. At its base, the diagrid widens to create framed openings and views to the surrounding park and South China Sea.
Two vertical atria span the height of the tower. On each floor, employees can use louvres to open and close vents, accessing fresh air from the atria. This allows the building to “breathe” when Shenzhen’s climate is pleasant. By cycling fresh air throughout the building, these features generate significant savings in environmental and energy efficiency.
Redefining The Workplace Experience
Figurr Architects Collective’s new head office design redefines workplaces for two innovative companies: Caivan and its subsidiary organization, the Advanced Building Innovation Company (ABIC). The design blends modern
A Landmark Development in a Historic Location
With the creation of the ‘Neuer Kanzlerplatz’ office district, Bonn now has an office complex in an attractive location that is equipped for the future. At the same time, the project has solved urban planning problems for the
A Unique Identity
Due to prevailing rules governing built-up areas, this project required a vertical tower since the ratio of built-up area permissible is 9 times the plot area. The vertical circulation core is planned on the southern side to mitigate heat gain and
A Social, Meaningful & Healthy Work Environment
The highly sustainable campus Eclipse is designed to foster an inspirational work environment. The 60-metre-high building offers approx. 27,000 m2 of light-flooded, contemporary office space with approx. 1,200 workplaces
A Robust & Sustainable Ensemble
De Zwarte Hond designs an office building and training facilities with an all-timber construction to create a circular, climate-adaptive, and nature-inclusive environment with high flexibility, scalability, and modularity. The new regional
The Misfit
Misfit]fit is a new six-storey, 32,000 sqft office building situated on a small vacant site in Toronto’s Liberty Village. The building’s program is comprised of four floors of flexible office space, retail at grade, and a rooftop sculpture garden
Reinforcing Sense of Community
Designed by ikon.5 architects, the L. Gale Lemerand Student Center transforms the Daytona State College campus. The 74,000-sqft L. Gale Lemerand student center at Daytona State College establishes an iconic presence to the campus along
Speaking A Personal Language
This 2400 sqft home in Southeast Bangalore, with parameters that go well beyond the physical and contextual realm, is a repository of memories and experiences, representing the ethos and cultural background of the family. The house evolved
Maximizing Efficiencies and Occupants’ Comfort
Xi’an, one of China’s largest inland cities, and the country’s ancient capital and historic eastern gateway of the Silk Road, has become a major hub for new technologies that include semiconductor manufacturing, robotics, aerospace
From Blueprint to Greenprint: Devising Renewable Energy in Residential Architecture
While responsible design principles remain the foundation of a sustainable building, embracing innovative strategies and harnessing the most effective tools during construction is just as essential in achieving the long-term