Location: Shenzhen, China.

Architect: Steven Holl Architects.

The Vanke Center is a 220,000 square meter mixed-use complex that includes the headquarters for Vanke Co. ltd, apartments, a hotel, a conference center, a spa, and a parking lot. The building is elevated on eight legs, leaving the lush tropical landscape below free and open to the public. The underside of the floating structure becomes its main elevation, offering 360-degree views over the landscape. The building is designed to create a porous micro-climate of freed landscape and is one of the first LEED platinum rated buildings in Southern China. The landscape is inspired by Roberto Burle Marx’ gardens in Brazil and contains restaurants and cafes in vegetated mounds bracketed with pools and walkways. The building is equipped with eco-friendly features such as systems for recycling greywater and collecting rainwater, green roofs, operable openings, and high-performance glass surfaces. The headquarters of Vanke Co. are furnished with recyclable materials. The building is also equipped with 1,400 square meters of photovoltaic panels on the roof that produce enough energy to satisfy 12.5% of the total demand from the offices. The Vanke Center is a sustainable 21st-century vision that integrates several new sustainable aspects.

Photo credit: Iwan Baan.