Location: Zhuhai, China
Architect: Aedas
Now in its second phase of construction, this future financial district aims to connect Hong Kong, Macao and other major cities in the Greater Bay Area. Its master plan is the award-winning product of Aedas’s urban planning team.
The design emphasizes the concentration of energy in the architectural form and was influenced by the Song Dynasty painting “The Nine Dragons,” a well-known classic of Chinese art. The tower itself also represents the abilities and resources gathered at Hengqin to establish a new city in the Greater Bay Area because of the four vertical blocks that shoot up to the sky and merge into the structure.
Zhuhai’s subtropical environment places increased demands on the tower’s wind load in order for it to resist the powerful winds that occur during typhoon seasons. To lessen wind drag and enhance the experience for pedestrians, the design team carefully modified the building’s orientation and entry. A tall exhibition area and a distinctive canopy over the entry are surrounded by a flurry of horizontally creased envelopes created by the fluid elevations’ glass and metal panelling that cascade down to create a large curtain. Pulling and twisting the vertical parts around the central axis, which transforms the tower walls into the podium roof, creates a seamless transition between the ultra-high-rise and the low-rise podium.
