With vibrant urban spaces, multiple programs, and efficient connections to rapid transit, the recently completed China Resources Qianhai Center project by global architecture firm Goettsch Partners (GP) brings a new sustainable mixed-use development to the Qianhai District.
Developed by CR Land, the project covers over hectares and includes five towers totaling nearly 472,000 square meters. These towers break down in use to three no. office towers, a five-star hotel tower, an apartment tower, and a terraced retail complex.
The Qianhai Center site is part of a special economic zone designated to transform the previously undeveloped 15-square-kilometer bay area into the 'Manhattan of the Pearl River Delta.' Served by several subway lines, Qianhai Center is fully accessible within Shenzhen by rapid transit. Moreover, proximity to Hong Kong further creates a connection between mainland China and international financial institutions looking for cross-border opportunities within China.
Land used for the development is reclaimed from the sea. As such, there was no immediate context or community from which to seed the new district. The project's architects note that it was important to include a diverse mix of functions and scales to promote a dense, active, 24—hour live-work-play environment that could attract a critical mass of people to the neighborhood…..as well as international Fortune 500 finance companies.
Further, efforts were made to prioritize a vibrant pedestrian community at the heart of the complex. The original eight-parcel site was combined into two larger blocks, which unified the development. The five towers are arranged around the site's perimeter to create an urban street wall while opening the middle of the site for greater pedestrian movement. This 'financial canyon' was conceived as a multilevel terracing pedestrian zone, meandering through the heart of the development.
The 'financial canyon' podium, connecting the towers, was designed to provide a livable and healthy environment. Terrace levels reduce the scale of the urban streetscape and provide multiple opportunities for social interaction. The lush landscape enhances the character of the tropical public realm while also supporting the 'sponge city' requirements of Shenzhen, an effort to absorb rain and prevent flooding.
The office towers are designed as extruded volumes that project an image of stability and confidence. The towers are articulated with a curtain wall that reinforces the stoic character of the buildings through the multistory grid of exterior double-fin sunshades. The grid provides a scale with classic proportions while protecting from tropical weather. Further, the double fins allow the buildings' parallel-projection windows to open and close within the shadows of the fins, reducing visual disruption and allowing the towers to maintain a cohesive character.
Each tower was designed to exceed energy codes. The double-fin exterior sunshades extend from the façade to provide shading protection and reduce solar heat gain on the façade. This is amplified by triple low-e coatings and insulation at all non-vision areas, further increasing the energy performance of the façade. In addition, parallel-projection windows extending from the façade at every module provide ample and flexible natural ventilation to all interior spaces.
The opening of this complex marks GP's latest completed project for CR Land. Other recent developments include the 403-meter-tall Guangxi China Resources Tower in Nanning, including a 320-key Shangri-La hotel, as well as the 28-story, 48,480 square-meter CR Financial Headquarters and the 220-key Andaz Shenzhen Bay hotel, both also located in Shenzhen.
