△ China Merchants Shekou Xi’an Silk Road Center
Located in Xi’an International Port Area, this site serves as the primary hub for integrating into the Belt and Road Initiative and establishing a new model of openness. It is a key region supporting Xi’an’s development as a new eastern center and acts as the “main battlefield” for embracing comprehensive development and building a national central city.
With overlapping focuses on the “Logistics Hub,” “Global Economy,” and the “Olympic Sports Effect,” the industrial landscape of Xi’an International Port Area is continuously being refined. The area is evolving into a vibrant cluster for five major industries: port trade, modern logistics, new finance, e-commerce, and cultural & sports health sectors.
△ China Merchants Shekou Xi’an Silk Road Center
The Xi’an Olympic Sports Center sits at the heart of the Xi’an International Port Area. From the outset, its design envisioned responsibilities beyond merely serving urban sports needs. While a large city may host many bustling commercial centers, there is only one Olympic Sports Center. Its completion is set to significantly drive regional and city-wide upgrades.
As the countdown to the 14th National Games reaches 100 days, tens of thousands of workers are tirelessly pushing forward around the main venue — the Xi’an Olympic Sports Center — overcoming challenges and creating new “Xi’an speed.” The China Merchants Shekou Xi’an Silk Road Center project, designed by Shanghai Sanyi, is also entering its final sprint phase as a key project for the Games.
#1. “Olympic Effect”
The top ten headquarters have topped out successively, revealing the emerging prototype of the Olympic Sports New City.
△ Xi’an Olympic Sports Area Planning Rendering
The Xi’an Olympic Sports Center opened in July last year and has since hosted numerous national fitness activities and events. As the main venue of the National Games, it has become a focal point of the era. The ten major headquarters projects alongside significant supporting developments around the Center have ignited widespread enthusiasm.
Xi’an Olympic Sports Center © CreatAR
The top ten surrounding headquarters encompass 8 enterprises across 11 plots, including 13 super high-rise buildings between 140 and 160 meters tall, plus 17 high-rises under 100 meters, totaling 2.1 million square meters of built area. The China Merchants Shekou Xi’an Silk Road Center spans approximately 60 acres with a total construction area near 298,000 square meters. It features six buildings and podiums, including two super high-rise office towers at 144 meters each, destined to become landmarks within the International Port Area. Currently, with construction advancing steadily around the Xi’an Olympic Sports Center, the top ten headquarters projects have topped out, and the Olympic Sports New City is taking shape.
△ Early construction photos around the Olympic Sports Center
According to plans, the Xi’an Olympic Sports Center will not only host national sports competitions but will also regularly accommodate concerts, theatrical performances, and other events after the Games. This will foster integration of culture, sports, entertainment, and leisure, transforming the Olympic Sports Area into a vibrant “cultural+” multifunctional zone in Xi’an’s post-Games era.
#2. “Gate of the Central Axis”
Olympic Sports Wings: Twin Super High-Rise Towers
The Olympic Sports Center Axis Ecological Park lies at the core of the Olympic Sports Center, stretching 7.2 kilometers in length and up to 330 meters wide from north to south. It features 86,000 square meters of ground-level landscaping and 217,000 square meters of garden greenery.
The China Merchants Shekou Xi’an Silk Road Center occupies two plots positioned on the north and south wings of the park’s main axis. The buildings are symmetrically arranged along this axis, acting as the “wings” that complement the ecological park and the Olympic Sports Center.
△ Bird’s-eye view rendering
△ Design sketch
Both towers stand 144 meters tall and are symmetrically arranged as part of a three-building complex separated by a landscaped belt. This design breaks from traditional architectural styles, highlighting the dynamic spirit of the new economic era in Xi’an. The buildings are connected by an L-shaped aerial corridor, creating a spatial form that embraces the Olympic Games.
This design symbolizes an open gate welcoming guests and shapes the visual identity of Xi’an’s gateway.
△ Design sketch
△ Three-building architectural complex
The buildings are interconnected via an L-shaped aerial corridor
This design embodies the symbolism of welcoming guests through an open door.
Featuring a modern and minimalist style with a clean, sophisticated facade, the design draws inspiration from Xi’an’s historic cultural heritage — its city, gates, and water. These elements combine to form several glass cubes that use contemporary architectural language to express the city’s timeless spirit. The project embraces three-dimensional spatial concepts, integrating ecological elements and natural greenery in a layered arrangement that evokes growth and vitality.
By blending modern techniques with a legacy spanning thousands of years, the design connects architecture with history, culture, and nature. It melds memories from the ancient city walls to the Silk Road, envisioning a future city that resonates emotionally with its people.
△ Glass cube structures
Upon completion, the China Merchants Shekou Xi’an Silk Road Center will integrate diverse functions, including business offices, a star-rated hotel, boutique apartments, and specialty retail. The northern plot will feature the NOVOTEL Business Hotel, an Accor Group subsidiary, with approximately 240 standard rooms, a full-service restaurant, executive lounge, meeting rooms, and a gym.
High-level amenities will create a rare cloud club within the port area and eastern city, offering visitors premium views and experiences in the Olympic Sports zone. The project’s north and south plots include approximately 12,000 square meters of commercial space, delivering an immersive trendy environment that perfectly blends architecture with natural surroundings. The retail mix encompasses quality dining, upscale shopping, leisure, and entertainment.
The southern plot’s commercial street connects seamlessly with subway Lines 3 and 14, fostering a vibrant, high-quality neighborhood with engaging experiences.
△ Commercial blocks
In the future, the China Merchants Shekou Xi’an Silk Road Center will serve as a vital support facility for the Xi’an Olympic Sports Center and other major public buildings nearby. Together, they will project a modern international urban image, writing a new chapter in the history of the ancient capital of Xi’an.
#3. Project Progress
The topping out of the super high-rise buildings has been completed, with lighting installations expected by the end of this month.
△ China Merchants Shekou Xi’an Silk Road Center
As the opening ceremony of the 14th National Games nears on September 15th, the project has entered its final sprint phase. Recently, the Shekou Xi’an Silk Road Center achieved a major milestone: the structural topping out of two 144-meter super tall buildings, marking another breakthrough following the topping out of a 400-meter tower.
Construction began in August last year, and the project reached full structural topping out within just nine months. Currently, intensive follow-up work is underway. The exterior facade and curtain walls are scheduled for completion by the end of this month, along with synchronized lighting control coordinated with the Olympic Sports Center.
△ Project site photos
△ Project construction site © Entrepreneurial Architecture
△ Project site photos
△ Rendering of China Merchants Shekou Xi’an Silk Road Center
Project Details
Project Name: China Merchants Shekou Xi’an Silk Road Center
Project Type: Urban Complex
Location: Xi’an International Port Area
Site Area: 40,005 square meters
Building Area: 298,191 square meters
Floor Area Ratio: 5.0
Design Period: April 2019 – November 2020
Construction Period: March 2020 – November 2022
Developer: China Merchants Shekou Xi’an Company
Design Firm: Shanghai Sanyi Architectural Design Co., Ltd
Lead Architect: Lu Xiaogang
Project Leaders: Jiang Wenjun, Sun Jingya
Design Team: Jiang Wenjun, Sun Jingya, Wu Wenxuan, Lu Yiting, Wang Tao, Zhang Liyun, Han Zeyu, Tao Lulu, Pan Ruyue, Chen Yuli, Liu Henglin, Liu Wanchen, Liu Pinxi, Zhang Jian, Chen Yifan
Technical Support: Wang Xiaohong, Wang Fang, Qian Fang, Zhao Bin, Hu Wenxiao, Chen Ying, Ju Yongjian, Jiang Hong, Xiong Jingfeng, Ding Beili, Peng Donghua, Chen Zhe
Partners:
Landscape Design: Shanghai Riqing Architectural Design Co., Ltd
Interior Design: Yang Bangsheng (Novotel Hotel)
Interior Design: JIAI Interior Design Shanghai Co., Ltd. (Office)
Interior Design: Shenzhen Youlian Zhihe Environmental Art Design Co., Ltd. (Apartment)
BIM Design: Chengdu Benchmark Fangzhong Architectural Design Co., Ltd. Xi’an Branch
Construction Drawing Design: Chengdu Benchmark Fangzhong Architectural Design Co., Ltd. Xi’an Branch
Curtain Wall Design: Shanghai Qishi Construction Engineering Consulting Co., Ltd. (North Plot), Foster Engineering Consulting Co., Ltd. (South Plot)
Lighting Design: Beijing Tsinghua Tongheng Planning and Design Institute Co., Ltd
Construction Contractors: Chongqing Yufa Construction Co., Ltd, Zhengwei Technology Group Co., Ltd
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