SOM derived the Tianjin CTF Finance Center tapered shape from the different floor space requirements each program demands. The office floors have 3,800 square meters at the base and the apartments and hotel levels recede to 1,800 square meters.
The engineers at SOM managed to prevent the costly usage of a bracing system for earthquake protection and instead implemented a series of massive sloped columns that can withstand lattice forces. The solution significantly reduced build time and the amount of building materials needed.
SOM set out to design a facade that would properly express the tower’s curving structure. They developed a system of staggered, flat glass panels that are set in a 275-millimeter wide aluminium mullion. The tailor made curtain facade reduce heating and cooling costs and maximizing daylight to reduce energy usage.
Brian Lee, the SOM design partner in charge of the project, explains: “The staggered glass panels and crescent-shaped aluminum mullions create a beautiful texture that catches the light. It gives the tower an effervescent quality that’s very striking.”
