Southern Newspaper Media Group, a state-owned media enterprise in Guangdong Province, China, has partnered with Tongchuang Group to develop an innovative new office complex known as Southern Tongchuang Hui.
Located at 289 Guangzhou Avenue Middle in Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, China, this project sits at a key intersection within the city center. It is bordered by Pearl River New Town—the core central business district of Guangzhou—to the east, and Yuexiu Old Town to the west. The existing structure is a 19-story high-rise. Through careful research and structural analysis, architects and engineers preserved the original building while reinforcing it by adding seven additional floors. This approach created a new park building that harmoniously blends the old and new, featuring innovative design and sustainable, eco-friendly elements.
Before renovation (left) and after renovation (right)
△ Transformation Diagram
One of the first major changes was converting the previously enclosed management courtyard into an open, continuous public park. This was achieved through thoughtful zoning, uninterrupted pedestrian flow, and smart management systems. The original gate, located at the park’s entrance and exit, was relocated inward to each building, allowing the park to function as an accessible urban green space.
Visitors entering the park are greeted by the rich history of Southern Newspaper and Media Group. Five pillars at the entrance represent the group’s five core industries. At the center stands a fiery sculpture symbolizing the eternal light of the south, while six towering king coconut trees preserve decades of collective memories.
△ Main entrance before renovation
△ Renovated front square
The main entrance on the first floor of the building was relocated to enlarge the lobby area. Several floor slabs were removed to create a raised lobby space, and a curved staircase now connects the shared spaces between the first and second floors. These design choices significantly improve the building’s spatial quality and user experience.
△ Entrance lobby before renovation
△ Interior after renovation
The project also features bold structural innovations. Adding seven floors atop the original 19-story, 30-year-old tower was a significant engineering challenge, with no existing national regulations to guide such a retrofit. The structural team conducted a detailed feasibility study and, through extensive mechanical analysis, developed a new structural system: “steel structure reinforcement with self-sensing anti-buckling support.”
This approach, based on the principle of equal displacement, addresses the original structure’s inability to meet modern seismic standards. It provides reinforcement capable of withstanding both minor and major earthquakes, completing the structural addition creatively and safely. The building’s core tube was also upgraded with additional elevators and a revamped VRV air conditioning system to meet the demands of contemporary office environments.
△ Model analysis
The project also embraces sustainable design with three key strategies:
First, it introduces the concept of an elevated green island by creating a landscaped layer between the original building and the new addition. This design brings green shared spaces to the high-rise environment, establishing a new model for green architecture in Guangzhou.
Second, the original tower’s standard floor height is 3.3 meters. To maintain a generous ceiling height, the design avoids suspended ceilings in public office spaces. Instead, air conditioning units and associated piping are discreetly concealed behind structural beams, resulting in a clean and aesthetically pleasing interior.
Finally, the removal of the original wall beneath the windows enhances views and maximizes natural daylight, reducing energy consumption.
△ Interior after renovation
The original exterior walls were covered with light brown mosaic tiles, which showed significant peeling after more than 30 years. The renovation removed these tiles and repainted the walls with dark gray textured paint. The new addition features contemporary French windows, achieving a cohesive visual integration between the old and new sections.
△ Front facade before renovation
△ Exterior facade after renovation
△ Front facade before renovation (left) and exterior facade after renovation (right)
△ Overall plan
△ First floor plan (before renovation)
△ First floor plan (after renovation)
△ Standard floor plan for floors 3-19 (before renovation)
△ Standard floor plan for floors 3-19 (after renovation)
△ Standard floor plan for the newly added floors
△ Section diagram
Detail drawing of wall structure on floors 3-18 (before renovation)
△ Wall details on floors 3-18 (after renovation)
△ Detailed drawing of added layer wall structure
△ Curtain wall glass folding plate wall detail on the podium building
Analysis of the curtain wall glass folded plate façade structure on the podium building
Project Information
Project Name: Southern Tongchuang Hui Renovation Project
Base Area: N/A
Building Area: 30,500 square meters (including 6,800 square meters of additional floors)
Architectural Design: TECON Tiancheng Architecture
Lead Architect: Liu Yiwei
Design Team: Que Chencheng, Zheng Manze, Li Shujuan
Construction Drawings: Guangdong Provincial Institute of Architectural Design and Research
Interior Design: ENJOY
Landscape Design: Source Art Design
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