In Shenzhen, China, BIG has won a competition to create a
pair of skyscrapers
that form gently sloping volumes tapering towards the sky.
The tower complex, known as Qianhai Prisma Towers,
will finish the new Qianhai Bay development in Shenzhen and is made up of two
high-rise buildings: a 300-meter-tall residential tower and a 250-meter-tall
office tower.
The Shenzhen Hong Kong Plaza, also known as the "green
belt," which serves as the neighborhood's entry, will be flanked on each
side by the Qianhai Prisma Towers, which are situated in the Guiwan District of
the metropolitan city of Qianhai.
The addition of additional offices, homes and more than
20,000 square meters of multi-level public space in each tower will put them
close to a regional transportation hub and Qianhai Bay.
The tower design language is characterized by gently sloping
volumes that taper upward. Along with adding a modest nod to the structural
economy, this also makes room for lush openings between the volumes and a
sizable ground-floor public area.
The glass facades of the buildings are contrasted by lush
biophilia on the balconies and ledges, and as the day progresses, the façades
gradually shimmer.
The well-known Shenzhen-Hong Kong Plaza, sometimes referred
to as the Green Belt, serves as the project's backdrop. The ground level can be
completely opened up to make an urban living space. The buildings are
gesturally connected to the well-known sky bridge "green belt" and an
adjacent shopping center via the ground plane. This develops a network of
pedestrian crossings that eventually leads to the Qianhai Bay Waterfront. The
ground floor's public areas, which are completely tucked away beneath the
building's overhangs and tree canopy, feature an amphitheater, social areas
covered by trees, and an underground bar.
Photovoltaic cells have been included on the East and West
faces of the office tower in response to environmental and sustainability
concerns. In response to the climate in the area, the office tower is also
built with a double-skinned closed-cavity facade. The ventilation inlets in
each apartment in the plan are moveable through the individual window frames,
promoting and enabling effective natural ventilation. The slanted curtain walls
also catch rainwater, which is then used to maintain the public areas.
Terraces that cascade down from the project's ground floor
to its rooftop are covered in lush vegetation. Locals and building occupants
can take in a panoramic view of the entire Qianhai Bay from the rooftop. The
slight shimmer that varies with the time of day is most visibly displayed by
the contrast of the ever-expanding greenery and the smooth glass.
Contextually, the Guangzhou-Shenzhen Intercity Railway is to the east of the site, and the proposed Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Express Railway will be on the west side, placing the towers between the two largest intercity trains. Through the nearby retail and commercial strip's basement hall, the tower also provides access to the main transportation hub.
The overall goal of the Qianhai Bay development project is
to solidify the city's position as the regional center for business, finance,
and culture. In this vein, Big anticipates starting work on the project in
2025.
The BIG has recently unveiled ‘Telus
Sky’ Tower in Calgary. TELUS has commissioned BIG to design a mixed-use
skyscraper in the heart of the Canadian city. Known as TELUS Sky, the 750,000-square-foot tower is designed to “seamlessly accommodate the transformation
from working to living as the tower takes off from the ground to reach the
sky.”
