Shenzhen Rural Commercial Bank Headquarters marks a new landmark in sustainable design

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) reveals 150-meter-tall mixed-used tower in the central district of Bao’an Shenzhen. The intriguing design by SOM is in line with the firm’s rich tradition of integrating architectural design and structural engineering.

Core the design is a diagrid structure. Pulled away from the façade, the structure allows for a column-free exterior and interior, which affords maximum spatial flexibility and spectacular views, Adjacent to a public park and three blocks from the sea, a range of spectacular views can be seen from every floor. The diagrid serves an additional function as a sunscreen. 

Also core to the design is a vertical atrium that stretches the full height of the tower’s east and west facades, providing enhanced natural air circulation and mechanical performance.

The glazed lobby is fitted with a 15 meter high ‘rain curtain’. Droplets cascade down small translucent filaments to provide an evaporation cooling effect. The water theme is extended to suspended lighting fixtures that mimic droplets of rain and the marble that shifts from a textured to a honed finish to evoke a water effect.

The exterior lighting concept invokes layers of light, vertical lighting on the atrium façade and wall-washing light techniques. SOM note the landscape and building complex design will be integrated with advanced green building technology including landscape, building materials and operational energy conservation.

“We’re always exploring opportunities to synthesize inventive engineering solutions with architectural design. The Rural Commercial Bank Headquarters gave us the chance to incorporate a diagrid—similar to an exoskeleton—that pulls the
structure to the exterior and effectively suspends the tower within to create column-free workspaces.”

- Scott Duncan, SOM Design Partner

Two atria run the entire height of the tower. Employees can use louvers to open and close ventra that access fresh air from the atria allowing them to make the building ‘breathe’.