▲ Project Rendering
The new office building for Chongqing High-Tech Group Co., Ltd., designed by Aedas, is situated on the north side of Xingfu Square in Chongqing’s northern new district. The building is taking shape, featuring a dynamic interplay of straight and curved lines formed by steel and concrete, complemented by glass curtain walls that bend and flow with the structure. The use of rigid materials beautifully expresses the elegance of flexible curvature. Scheduled for completion in 2022, this project aims to compete for the title of “world’s number one twist.”
▲ Construction drawings closely match the simulation renderings
All surrounding buildings have been completed, presenting a design challenge: how to integrate the texture of the neighboring structures while establishing this building as a landmark and core feature. Additionally, the design echoes the environment under the “sun” theme outlined in the planning.
▲ Project Location
▲ Project Overview Rendering
The building faces a spacious open square, offering ideal conditions to become an iconic tower. Its dramatically twisted curtain wall immediately captures attention. Project designer Ken Wai drew inspiration from the rare and dazzling aurora phenomenon. The design connects the south and east facades of the tower from top to bottom, creating a unique hyperbolic surface that simulates the graceful arc of an aurora curtain, staging a “dance of light.” From various viewpoints, the tower reveals constantly shifting curves. During the day, sunlight paints the curved surfaces with dazzling gold, transforming the tower into a radiant embodiment of light. At night, the facade reflects white light, with curves resembling a young dancer’s slender waist moving gracefully. The podium’s roof plan twists continuously from vertical to nearly horizontal, echoing the tower’s geometry and maintaining architectural harmony.
▲ From Inspiration to Design
▲ Sunlight Simulation
▲ Nighttime Simulation
This extraordinary twist design forms a highly complex hyperbolic surface, with the largest single-floor twist angle reaching 8.8 degrees—far surpassing similar projects and nearly 1.5 times the maximum twist angle of any existing single-floor super high-rise worldwide (C (BIM work) TBUH Journal, 2016 Issue 3). Upon completion, it will be a strong contender for the “world’s number one twist” title. Achieving this world-class feat depended on collaboration with RFR and advanced curtain wall technologies to ensure precise design.
Fitting double-curved surfaces on hyperbolic super high-rises with significant distortion has always been a major challenge. Designer Wei Yeqi and RFR overcame this through close cooperation, employing complex curved curtain wall BIM and cold-bent glass technology for the hyperbolic curtain wall panels. The curtain wall system accommodates multiple angles and panel size variations to ensure the as-built effect matches the simulations and delivers reliable performance. Glass units feature three-dimensional framing and flat glass cold bending, breaking China’s record for the largest glass warp of 86mm, enabling realization of the design vision. The entire process encompassed full curtain wall BIM—from geometric optimization, detailed modeling (LOD400), to automated generation and verification of fabrication data.
▲ Maximum Single-Floor Twist Angle and Hyperbolic Surface Diagram
▲ Cutting-Edge Curtain Wall Technology Enables Success
▲ Large-Scale 3D Printed Models Facilitate Communication Between Construction Teams and Owners
The curtain wall serves not only as the building’s silhouette but also as a sculptural element and protector of interior spaces. Designer Wei Yeqi cleverly used curtain wall language at the tower crown, expressing the concept of a “valley of light” with transparent glass and integrated lighting. This approach unifies the overall design while distinguishing the tower’s office functions. The computer room, window cleaning machines, and other infrastructure are centrally located within the “valley” of the main crown, preserving the clean visual effect and ensuring functional harmony.
▲ Tower Crown Lighting Effect
Architecturally, the design carefully considers the surrounding environment and building volumes, positioning the super high-rise tower to the left side of the commercial podium. This placement avoids obstructing views of the nearby Star Tower to the northeast and reduces the visual pressure on the city’s central axis. It also creates additional outdoor public space for citizens. With its iconic silhouette and significant public areas, this project is set to become a highly recognizable new landmark in Chongqing.
Project Information
Project: (BIM Training) Office Building of Chongqing High-Tech Group Co., Ltd
Location: Chongqing, China
Architectural Design: Aedas
Curtain Wall Consultant: RFR Alpha Architectural Design Consulting (Shanghai) Co., Ltd
Owner: Chongqing High-Tech Group Co., Ltd
Building Area: 61,368 square meters
Completion Year: 2022
Director: Ken Wai (Wei Yeqi)
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