The Hainan Energy Trading Building is prominently located in the emerging central business district of Haikou’s Jiangdong New Area, positioned between the Qiongzhou Strait to the north and Jiangdong Avenue to the south. Yankuang Energy Group, specializing in mining production and sales, fine coal processing, and modern logistics, established an early presence here. This strategic move serves as a catalyst, encouraging world-class enterprises to actively contribute to the growth and development of the Hainan Free Trade Zone.
The building’s design resembles a floating square box atop a lush park, featuring a grand green courtyard that commands attention. Staggered sky gardens soften the otherwise rigid structure, blending strength with organic fluidity—mirroring Jiangdong New Area’s innovative technological development within spatial constraints.
Embracing Yankuang Group’s commitment to green energy, the design prioritizes maximizing green spaces. Every four floors feature tall, diagonally staggered sky gardens. Curved balconies connect the building’s service core and wrap the atrium, nurturing a diverse array of plants. This seamless integration of indoor balconies and sky gardens allows greenery to cascade through layered terraces, while natural light penetrates the atrium, creating a serene and refreshing work environment.
The building’s 75-meter-high atrium links the sky gardens with the open ground-floor space, creating a natural air circulation channel. Variations in air pressure, temperature, and density across floors allow fresh air to enter from below, pushing stale air upward and expelling it through roof openings. This natural ventilation, combined with an external shading system, ensures a comfortable and pleasant indoor microclimate.
The transparent glass curtain wall offers stunning views of the coastline and cityscape while revealing the building’s sleek yet robust structural system. The design incorporates large slanting supports to transfer loads effectively, maintaining the integrity of the hanging gardens without interference from structural columns. These supports also enable a cantilever of approximately 14 meters above the garden, minimizing lateral deflection and enhancing seismic resistance.
The building’s double-layer glass curtain wall balances natural lighting with energy efficiency, reducing dependence on artificial lighting and air conditioning. The inner layer uses Low-E glass for insulation, while heat is expelled through the cavity between the glass layers. Electric louvers positioned between the layers automatically adjust based on roof sun-tracking sensors, working in tandem with an intelligent lighting control system to optimize indoor comfort.
Additionally, the sloping roof and staggered setbacks every four floors allow ample sunlight for sky gardens and offices, while shielding most corridors and courtyards from direct sunlight—an important consideration given Hainan’s hot and humid climate. Inspired by traditional Jiangnan architecture, the sloping roof channels rainwater into courtyards, symbolizing “water gathering at the heart of heaven, water returning to the hall,” which represents prosperity.
The Hainan Energy Trading Building exemplifies sustainable architecture, offering a comfortable, energy-efficient modern office space. It stands as a green landmark in Jiangdong New Area, leading the way in regional architectural development.
Project Drawings
△ First Floor Plan
△ Plan View
△ Detailed Structural Drawing
Project Information
Architect: Yao Renxi | Dayuan Construction Factory
Area: 65,726 m²
Photographer: MLee Studio
Project Leaders: Zhu Wenhong, Lin Yiling
Design Team: Bao Xiaowen, Xu Juyi, Wang Fang, Li Xiaolu, Li Guolong, Weng Kaiwei, Xu Jiabin, Ye Lei, Su Jingying
Collaborative Design Institute: Guangdong Provincial Institute of Architectural Design and Research
Structural Consultant: Chuangwei Engineering Consulting Co., Ltd.
Landscape Consultant: Beijing Tu Ren Urban Planning and Design Co., Ltd.
Exterior Wall Consultant: Forward Engineering Design Consulting (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
Lighting Consultant: Bi Pu Lighting Design (Beijing) Co., Ltd.
Construction Contractor: China Construction Eighth Engineering Division Co., Ltd.
Owner: Hainan Smart Center Construction and Development Co., Ltd.
Location: Haikou
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