Located in the west of the CBD area, the competition site faces the Shenzhen Golf Course and the Xingzhou River directly on the other side of Xingzhou Road. Situated on the central axis of a new building complex running from east to west, the project is flanked by high rise buildings to the north and to the east. Connecting these buildings with a straight line creates an additional axis providing a beneficial boundary position to the junction in the south west of the overall area. Derived from this given context, the tower forms a curved shape aligning along the connecting axis and orientated based upon the priority of views with the largest percentage of façade surface facing southwest. Relating to the surrounding buildings and creating a respectful dialogue, the volumes facing the two high rise towers are made deliberately leaner than those of the main facades.
The elliptic shape of the tower allows for fanning out the floor plans creating vistas in any direction from each room of the tower without blocking views from the surrounding buildings. Decentralized lift cores facilitate intelligent and efficient area organization providing space for open plan offices along the south western part facing the Golf course. In the northeast, smaller cellular offices can be arranged with views facing the central plaza of the complex. The flexible plan arrangement allows for a wide range of office layouts, including individual, cell and open-plan offices while the varying depths of the sky gardens increase the perimeter for exposure to daylight. Two roof terraces are located on top of the podium buildings overlooking the Plaza to the north and a water feature in the south.
Reinforcing Citic Bank’s responsible character, a green design concept was developed generating a highly sustainable building in both ecological and economical terms. The tower is ventilated by an atrium stretched over the entire height employing the natural chimney effect. The fins of the south façade are computer controlled to grant ideal sun protection under all conditions. By creating a second skin in front of the main façade layer, it also help reducing traffic noise significantly and form a thermal buffer. Photovoltaic elements and wind turbines on the roof provide the building with ecological energy and drastically decrease building operation costs. Flexibly arranged sky gardens create a healthy climate and provide attractive communication areas while linking both halves of the tower as well as inside and outside through a high level of transparency.
The tower forms an inviting gesture leading into the new CBD and features transparent design highlighting a flowing connection between the inside of the complex and the surroundings making it a true landmark establishing both highly functional und aesthetical values.
