BIG wins competition to design Qianhai Prisma Towers in Shenzhen,
BIG has won a competition to design a pair of towers that form gently graduated volumes, tapering skyward in Shenzhen, China.
The mainland complex, dubbed Qianhai Prisma Towers, consists of two high-rise buildings,
comprising a 300-meter-tall residential tower and a 250-meter-tall office tower,
and will complement Shenzhen’s new Qianhai Bay project.
The project Location
Qianhai Prisma Towers are located in Guiwan District within the metropolitan city of Qianhai,
and will surround each side of Shenzhen Hong Kong Plaza which is also known as the “green belt”, marking the entrance to the neighborhood.
Both towers add new work and residence spaces and more than 20,000 square meters of multi-level public space,
which will be located steps away from an integrated regional transportation hub and Qianhai Bay.
The towers’ design language will be defined by their gently sloping volumes, which look skyward.
Project features
This also adds a subtle nod to structural efficiency while creating green openings between volumes and generous public realm on the ground floor.
The towers are enriched with lush vibrancy on the balconies and ledges that contrast with the glass facades, while the façades glisten subtly throughout the day.
Both towers are designed as envelopes of a simple prismatic building,
splitting to make room for the public space on the grounds where they stand.
Open seams and diverging angles allow the green spaces to rise from the ground to the sky,
leaving wedges for the outdoor gardens and terraces for the lives of the people who live and work within.
The architecture of the Twin Towers is firmly rooted in the urban values that underpin Shenzhen,
with its timeless simplicity and inviting openness, a modern vertical city of 1,000 parks.
On the ground floor, the towers are opened up to create a dynamic and welcoming urban living room with the towers being linked to the nearby ‘green belt’ and shopping mall.
Attractive openness and timeless simplicity
The team adds a lively zigzag footbridge to act as an awning, providing shade and protection from the rain,
as this awning also connects the shopping mall, retail platform, and surrounding neighborhood.
Looking through the openings of the building envelope, cascading green terraces are inserted from street level to the roof, where office workers and visitors can enjoy 360° views of Qianhai Bay.
The BIG team is also integrating photovoltaics into the tower’s slightly leaning west and east façades, to increase photovoltaic energy efficiency.
Considering local climatic conditions, the team designs a double skin closed cavity façade (CCF) to be used in the most exposed direction of the office tower.
With this interface system, the towers aim to achieve and improve thermal performance.
The residential tower units also have operable louvers, to allow natural ventilation,
and are built into the window frames.
While the residential tower, which has an area of 130,760 square meters,
consists of a radial array of three rectangular volumes ascending at different heights.
The residential towers also provide multiple views towards the city and ocean while creating a ‘sky garden’ and rooftop terraces.
Then the team opens between the volumes, a delicate incision of green balconies from ground level to rooftops.
Celebration of connectivity to transport infrastructure
From within the tower the angles open to create outdoor terraces on each floor,
and the west tower wall extends slightly skyward to repeat the slanting gesture.
It neatly connects the three remaining walls or envelopes to create a sculptural addition to the skyline.
As the tower’s footprints open into the ground,
they mark the connection to the transportation infrastructure, retail and neighboring buildings.
Pedestrian walkways connect several floors to provide seamless transitions between the towers and surrounding public programs,
forming a pedestrian network leading to Qianhai Bay Waterfront Park.
The team adds a wayfinding method on the ground floor, inspired by Qianhai Bay,
which often appears as a series of ripples while facilitating the flow of people through doorways in and around the towers.
In response to the climatic characteristics of the area, activities are located under canopy, trees and overhanging buildings.
The rainwater will be collected through the inclined curtain walls,
which are used in the irrigation system and the maintenance of public spaces.
Both towers are strategically placed between the two intercity rail lines;
Guangzhou-Shenzhen Intercity Railway is located in the east side of the site,
The proposed Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Railway will be at the western side of the residential tower.
An adjoining retail corridor below the grade of both towers will provide direct access to the transport hub via the lower level lobbies.
To complement the accessibility to the transportation hub,
an additional 966 long-term bicycle parking spaces will be available to the building’s occupants.
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