The Qianhai Shimao Building, standing nearly 300 meters tall, is a prominent landmark in Shenzhen’s Qianhai district and ranks among the tallest twisted structural buildings worldwide. Featuring a bottom-up split design, the tower achieves a simultaneous twist in both the exterior curtain wall and the structural outer frame columns. As the tallest tower within the high-density urban complex, it is surrounded by six neighboring buildings. The design embodies the philosophy of “harmony in diversity,” seamlessly integrating with the complex while asserting its unique form.
The Vision Tower consists of two architectural blocks that elegantly rotate upwards from the ground, embracing each other as they ascend. These two plots symbolize Shenzhen and Hong Kong respectively. Their intertwined rotating forms represent the aspiration for harmonious development between the two cities. The tower’s orientation optimizes views of the bay and surrounding hills while minimizing visual impact between adjacent buildings.
Given the site’s high density, the tower gradually rotates as it rises, creating more open space between it and neighboring structures to foster better relationships. The tower’s geometry is rigorously designed on a square base divided into two parts. Starting from an irregular foundation, the form splits and rotates 45 degrees upward. At the crown, the volumes separate, emphasizing an axial relationship that metaphorically reflects the geographical connection between Shenzhen and Hong Kong.
This spiral geometry not only enhances architectural uniqueness but also delivers practical benefits for sustainability. The rotating design reduces wind loads, overall weight, and structural requirements—critical factors in the typhoon-prone Qianhai area.
Parametric design was employed to maximize floor plan efficiency, with the structural system rotating to align with the building’s geometry. The column grid structure complements the curtain wall units on each floor, enabling efficient and flexible office interiors. Subtle shifts in division and rotation enrich the spatial parameters of each level. Parametric methods also ensure precise fabrication of the complex glass curtain wall panels.
The resilient podium features an exterior skin equipped with effective sun visors, and the glass curtain wall has a solar heat gain coefficient of 1.7—a high-performance standard suitable for hot climates. The rotating form and integrated grooves significantly reduce lateral wind forces, allowing for slimmer structural dimensions and lowering embodied carbon emissions. The Qianhai Shimao Building has achieved LEED Gold pre-certification as well as China’s Three-Star Green Building certification.
Shimao Group envisions this iconic tower not only as a commercial success but also as a flexible urban and community design strategy. The planning process prioritizes connectivity and integration. It addresses multi-level interconnections between buildings at a micro scale, while also considering relationships among building clusters, public transit hubs, and upper-level planning.
The design team carefully crafted the spaces between buildings—the nodal points where pedestrian environments converge. This vision is expressed through meticulous attention to podium details and spatial gaps from the pedestrian perspective.
The architectural podium and pedestrian grid interweave across multiple levels and connect underground to the subway station. Carefully shaped forms, richly textured curtain walls, and artistic contrasts between cool-toned, highly reflective glass and warm copper materials create a welcoming walking environment. Openness, multi-level commercial spaces, and active urban plazas are key design strategies to invigorate public spaces within the community.
Project Drawings
△ Analysis Chart
Project Information
Architect: Gensler
Area: 160,000 square meters
Completion Year: 2022
Location: Shenzhen, China
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