Yabao Hi-Tech Enterprises Headquarter Park
The project is an examination of therelationship between a pristine rurallandscape and the advancing forces of arapidly growing city. Galaxy Yabao Hi-TechEnterprises Headquarter Park is close to thecentral zone of Futian District, ShenzhenChina. The Gross site area is about 65 ha;and the GFA is over 1,050,000 sqm,consisting of 18 high-rise towers rangingfrom 100-300 meters tall, a 5 star hotel, 3service apartment towers, 3 residentialtowers, a shopping mall and a 32 ha park.The main design concept was to try andintegrate the complex into the naturallandscape.
The buildings define a strongurban edge on the southwestern edge of thesite and begin to dissolve into nature as theymove northeast across the site towards thelake. A series of balconies pulls off the towerfacades to allow for vegetation to grow upthe sides of the buildings. A series of algaetubes mounted on the western facades alsobrings a natural diffuse green texture intothe complex. External linear screens furtherdiffuse the edge of the towers and shelterthe buildings from the heat of the summersun. Each tower has a rooftop garden tohelp reduce heat island effect.
The architecture is defined by two landmarktowers. The first is a 300 meter tower thatsits at the edge of a small stream runningacross the site. The tower twists up out ofthe stream taking inspiration from thefluidity of the water running across the site.A second iconic element is the shoppingmall, which is located at the intersection oftwo freeways. To react to the freeway edge,a 220 meter tower is pulled laterally alongthe freeway, melding the tower andshopping mall into an iconic element thatreaches 400 meters in length. The internaledge of the shopping mall terraces into aseries of green garden spaces.
Beyond the formal inspirations that try toblur or bridge the architecture back into anatural context, a series of sustainable ideasis embedded into the project that activatesthe buildings. The design is an examinationof the concept of moving “beyondneutrality” on a large scale.The buildings are designed with façades thatneutralize air pollution 24 hours a day, analgae system that produces oxygen, organicfertilizer, and cleans grey water, and a seriesof subterranean chambers that naturallycools outside air and pushes it into a seriesof outdoor courtyards. The buildings takefull advantage of technologies that helpshape the temperature and air quality oftheir micro-climate.
The project has already started constructionin October 2011.
Design Partner: Ted Givens
Managing Partner: David Pringle
Architectural Team:Maciej Setniewski, Peby Pratama, TatsuHayashi, Abraham Fung, Emre Icdem, JonMartin, Ru Chen, Shane Dale
Landscape Team:Ewa Koter, Ting Fung Chan
