Chengdu stands as a key economic, financial, technological, and cultural hub in central and western China. The Chengdu High Tech Vanke Center, developed by Vanke Group and designed by the renowned American firm Laguarda.Low Architects (LLA Architectural Design), is nearing completion in the High Tech Zone. This expansive project covers a total construction area of 100,000 square meters, seamlessly combining office spaces, hotel-style apartments, and commercial areas.
The architectural design integrates smoothly into the grid-like urban fabric, featuring fluid, soft forms that engage in a dialogue with the surrounding high-rises. The result is a fresh urban garden and verdant office environment. Upon completion, this site will serve as Vanke’s regional headquarters for central and western China.
△ Bird’s-eye view rendering © LLA
Overall bird’s-eye view of the project construction site © Vanke Group
Project Background
Chengdu plays a strategic role for Vanke Group’s expansion into central and western China. In late 2018, Vanke acquired the “Chuanshang International Conference Center” project along Tianfu 1st Street, laying the foundation for the Chengdu High Tech Vanke Center. Situated east of Yizhou Avenue and south of Tianfu 1st Street, the project spans 31.4 acres with approximately 100,000 square meters of building space.
The Dayuan area within the high-tech zone has developed into a vibrant residential community housing 400,000 people, complete with extensive infrastructure and a lively commercial district. The area balances the livability of an international southern city while meeting high-end residential and commercial demands from industries such as technology, business, and exhibitions.
△ City bird’s-eye view rendering © LLA
Despite its advantageous location, the project faces challenges from neighboring developments and site constraints. Adjacent to the south lies Poly International Plaza, featuring a super high-rise office tower exceeding 300 meters and over 80,000 square meters of commercial space. Nearby developments such as Pioneer International and Shilong Plaza also boast towering office buildings with extensive commercial facilities, while the New Century Global Shopping Center to the north saturates the region’s commercial market.
Given the limited project scale and a strict height limit of 70 meters, the design challenge was to create a distinctive office and commercial complex that could compete with neighboring projects, enhance the community’s overall image, and become a city landmark.
△ East elevation view © LLA
△ Office entrance rendering © LLA
Design Concept: Embracing Soft Curves
The Dayuan area has established detailed design guidelines covering building alignment, land corridor dimensions, and arcade building heights. While these guidelines unify the street frontage of surrounding structures, they also limit flexibility in building layouts. The site’s 70-meter height restriction is notably lower than neighboring towers.
Continuing traditional layouts would cause harsh visual clashes with surrounding skyscrapers and diminish the project’s uniqueness and competitiveness. To address this, the Chengdu High Tech Vanke Center employs a curved design strategy to soften this contrast.
△ General layout plan © LLA
Aerial view of the project construction site © Vanke Group
△ South elevation view © LLA
△ Street-level perspective view © Vanke Group
The design uses a two-stage curved enclosure to soften and diversify the rigid, monotonous street environment. This approach creates bright, open visual corridors for both the project and its neighbors. It also introduces diagonal entrance plazas, engaging internal courtyards, and flowing pathways that link all public open spaces.
△ Site Analysis Diagram – Fifth Facade © LLA
Perspective view of the main entrance at the northwest corner © LLA
The building’s height gradually decreases from north to south, featuring a sloping roof with a double-curved surface. This satisfies the setback requirement towards the block’s center and creates a dynamic building silhouette, enriching the skyline. The sculpted roof provides a striking “fifth facade” that enhances the urban landscape within the block and contrasts with nearby super-tall towers.
Schematic diagram of concept generation © LLA
Half bird’s-eye view rendering of the central garden © LLA
The site’s four corners are intentionally opened to create multi-directional connections between the city and the central garden. The lower-level corridors encourage foot traffic into the ground-floor commercial spaces, fostering a strong relationship between the building and its urban context. This design preserves the enclosed spatial form while inviting the city inside.
△ Schematic diagram of volume generation © LLA
△ Central garden rendering © LLA
△ Green space © LLA
To create a tranquil oasis amidst the city’s bustle while expanding commercial space, the design features a sunken central garden that seamlessly connects with the basement-level commercial area. Vertical circulation is provided at every entrance for easy access to the landscaped core. Additionally, displaced curved volumes at various heights form elevated green terraces and a semi-open rooftop retreat garden, extending natural landscaping upward.
△ Side view of negative first floor commercial axis © LLA
△ Negative first floor commercial and tower construction site © Vanke Group
△ Construction details © Vanke Group
△ Central garden construction site © Vanke Group
Each floor includes social balconies that encourage communication among employees and blend indoor and outdoor spaces. These balconies also contribute to the building’s layered aesthetic. The connections among social balconies, the central garden, sky gardens, and street spaces reduce the massing impact on surrounding areas while enhancing interaction with the city.
Half aerial view of the main entrance at the southeast corner © LLA
Perspective view of the central garden on the negative first floor © LLA
Perspective view of the central garden on the negative first floor © LLA
△ Roof section diagram © LLA
Interior-Focused Graphic Layout
Beyond serving as Vanke West’s headquarters, over half the space in the Chengdu High Tech Vanke Center is leased office space designed for flexible tenant needs. The floor plan utilizes a standard rectangular grid, adapted locally to fit the curved layout. Grid intersections are expanded to accommodate larger office or equipment spaces, balancing regularity with adaptability.
△ Axis Network Analysis Diagram © LLA
△ Office standard floor axial view © LLA
Due to the surrounding super high-rise buildings, the inner courtyard benefits from excellent natural views. The building’s core tubes are positioned on the exterior, maximizing office space with courtyard-facing landscapes and providing continuous frontage to the central garden for the basement commercial areas, enhancing the relationship between landscape and commerce.
△ First floor commercial axis side view © LLA
△ Second floor commercial axis side view © LLA
Summary
In recent decades, rapid urban development in China has made skyscraper height a key symbol for cities and corporations, with the mindset “the higher, the better” deeply rooted. However, in response to emerging urban challenges, China’s National Development and Reform Commission issued a directive in 2021 to restrict buildings taller than 250 meters.
Creating human-centered, green, and ecological work and living environments has thus become a new market imperative.
Overall profile diagram © LLA
△ Courtyard perspective view © Vanke Group
△ Tower construction site © Vanke Group
△ Tower construction site © Vanke Group
The Chengdu High Tech Vanke Center, with its innovative and environmentally respectful design, introduces a winding and inviting green oasis in the high-rise Dayuan area. Centered on the urban garden, it radiates a vibrant commercial atmosphere and fosters a people-oriented innovation environment, standing as a new model for creative, integrated development under challenging constraints.
Project Information
Project Name: Chengdu High Tech Vanke Center
Owner: Vanke Group
Location: Intersection of Jirui 2nd Road and Jiqing 3rd Road, High Tech Zone, Chengdu City
Project Area: Approximately 100,000 square meters
Expected Completion: May to August 2022
Design Firm: LLA Architectural Design Company / Laguarda.Low Architects
Lead Designer: Pablo Laguarda, FAIA
Design Team: Wu Jun, Liang Jin AIA, Christopher Powers AIA, Pan Xinzhi LEED AP, Hu Xiaoyan LEED AP, Yang Jiteng AIA, Wang Qi LEED GA, Yu Yiheng, Han Chen, Miguel Diaz
Construction Deepening Unit: Changsha Anji Chengdu Branch
Curtain Wall Design Consultant: Forward Exterior Wall Architectural Design Consulting (Shanghai) Co., Ltd
Curtain Wall Deepening Construction Unit: Shenzhen Sanxin Technology Development Co., Ltd. Chengdu Branch
Structural Consultant: Shenzhen Hezhifeng Construction Co., Ltd
Landscape Design: Zhilan Landscape
Interior Design of Shengjie Service Hotel Apartments: Zhuhai Mingde Engineering Design Co., Ltd
Interior Design of Office Area and Xingshanghui: Junjia Design
Interior Design of Vanke Central and Western Headquarters Office: Aijia (Shanghai) Architectural Engineering Design Co., Ltd
Photo Credit: Vanke Group
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