Jinan Jinshi Center stands as one of the landmark structures in Jinan City’s Central Business District. This mixed-use development integrates office spaces, commercial areas, and large-scale multifunctional conference facilities. The complex features two towers of varying heights and a partially elevated podium, all arranged around a central courtyard. Inspired by the concept of “Lingyan hides jade,” the design presents a refined and understated architectural form that fosters an open and welcoming public realm. The interplay of solid and void on the façade establishes a distinct urban presence, symbolizing the idea that “a gentleman cherishes gold and keeps beauty concealed within.”
01 Lingyan Hidden Jade
The Central Business District of Jinan represents the heart of the city’s urban development. Situated in the southeast sector of this district, the Jinshi Center neighbors the Shandong Provincial Museum and the Jinan Olympic Sports Center. This premium integrated complex offers a blend of office, retail, and multifunctional conference spaces.
Covering over 100,000 square meters, the project follows the urban design principles of the district. Gabo Architectural Design draws inspiration from the poetic image of “Lingyan Cangyu” to accentuate the project’s unique character and deliver high-quality architectural spaces.
Jinan Jinshi Center © Gerber Architekten
Concept diagram of “Lingyan Hidden Jade”
The design treats the 1.5-hectare site as an uncut raw jade stone, drawing from the idea that “Jade is nurtured by heaven and earth, hidden within stone, embodying elegance through simplicity.” Without resorting to complex or repetitive forms, the project aims to extract purity and cultivate virtue through its architectural expression.
Two towers, one taller and one shorter, are positioned at the northwest and southeast corners of the site, rising from the podium like freshly carved jade blocks. Between them lies an open central courtyard, linked to the surrounding cityscape via an elevated passage, creating a lively urban public space.
02 Breaking the Homogenized Urban Environment
Located within a dense urban core characterized by similar building typologies, the Jinshi Center introduces a spatial duality by enclosing the central courtyard with towers and podiums. This approach not only responds to the towering cityscape but also injects greenery and vibrancy, enhancing the urban fabric through openness and integration.
△ Aerial view of the project © Gerber Architekten
The towers and podium define the external spatial experience.
The northwest tower reaches 106 meters, positioned close to the city’s main road to enhance the streetscape and serve as a landmark. The southeast tower stands 68.3 meters tall, nestled within a cluster of towers, overlooking the park greenbelt and Olympic Sports Center, offering excellent views.
Arranged diagonally, the two towers vary in height and face each other, featuring inward-leaning sloped roofs that create an architectural dialogue. The podium envelops the site, using techniques such as double-layered overhead structures and setbacks to form a colonnade that invites pedestrian flow beneath the towers, welcoming the public into the site.
△ Views of the central and indoor courtyards © Gerber Architekten
The internal heart of the complex is the central courtyard.
This space functions both as a relaxing and social hub for tenants, enhancing the quality of office and retail environments, and as a landscaped urban street connecting to the elevated level. This connection opens the building to the city, mitigating the massing effect, aligning with the surrounding urban scale, and creating a north-south public activity corridor on the ground floor. The design thus embodies a cohesive “inward-looking” architectural form.
03 Shaping Rich Urban Interfaces
Beyond spatial organization, the design extends the “jade in stone” metaphor through façade treatments, delivering an inviting and approachable urban frontage that meets both functional and aesthetic urban requirements.
△ Building façade and details © Gerber Architekten
The exterior façade preserves the rounded, natural contours reminiscent of raw stone. Its main street-facing elevation incorporates curved corners, softening the building’s mass from a pedestrian perspective and avoiding monotonous, rigid lines. These subtle curves introduce dynamic visual interest through shifting perspectives.
Conversely, the interior façade is smooth and flat, embodying simplicity and elegance that supports efficient interior layouts.
The exterior is clad in warm-toned vertical metal panels evoking stone textures, while the interior features expansive glass curtain walls that reflect light like polished jade. This interplay of solid and transparent surfaces creates a dialogue of “breaking stone to reveal jade,” offering varied urban interfaces and enriching the cityscape.
△ Interior façade details © Gerber Architekten
04 Opening the Urban Landscape
Striving for harmony between architecture and the city, the design incorporates varied spatial elements inside and outside the site to create layered landscapes, offering a natural and inviting experience.
Central to the site is a green courtyard, complemented by gently sloping steps framed by plantings at the northwest and southeast corners. These features soften the tower’s dominance and elegantly manage the 4-meter elevation change across the site.
Entrance plazas on the southwest and northeast sides align with the surrounding ground level and feature scattered greenery and seating, inviting pedestrians to linger and activating the adjacent commercial streets.
△ Entrance plaza and gentle steps © Gerber Architekten
Additionally, the podium roof hosts a unique urban observation deck. This rooftop garden combines varied topography, greenery, and wooden walkways to create diverse rest areas and visual corridors, offering a serene retreat for building occupants.
△ Multi-level landscape spaces © Gerber Architekten
These thoughtfully designed public and landscaped spaces, alongside the commercial and office environments within the complex, embody the building’s intrinsic qualities. Together, they foster a dialogue between architecture and the city, enrich spatial value, and reflect the profound symbolism of “a gentleman cherishes gold and keeps beauty concealed within.”
Project Drawings
△ Base schematic diagram
△ Base schematic diagram
△ General layout plan
△ First floor plan
△ Third floor plan
△ Fourth floor plan
△ 22nd floor plan
△ Section diagram
△ Section diagram
△ Functional zoning diagram
△ Analysis chart
△ Analysis chart
Project Information
Project Name: Jinshi Center, Jinan Central Business District
Owner: Jinan Central Business District Investment and Construction Co., Ltd
Design Consortium: Gabor Architectural Design Firm / China Southwest Architectural Design and Research Institute Co., Ltd
Design Period: 2017
Construction Period: 2018–2022
Building Area: 103,122 square meters
Land Area: 14,963 square meters
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