Project: Changsha Jinmao Tower
Location: Changsha, China
Client: Jinmao
Design and Project Architect: Aedas
Gross Floor Area: 210,842 sq m
Completion Year: 2024
Design Director: Dr. Andy Wen, Global Design Principal
Photography: CreatAR Images
A 318m-tall landmark rises in the heart of Changsha. Led by Aedas Global Design Principal Dr. Andy Wen, the team creatively reinterprets the region’s landscape and cultural identity through modern architecture.
Located at a key urban intersection near a metro station, the project boasts strong visibility. It enjoys scenic lakeview to the east and west. The design focuses on optimising location advantages in high-density development, maximising landscape integration, and ensuring modern architecture naturally embodies local cultural identity.
Amid spatial constraints, the design draws from Changsha’s old streets, effectively guiding the intersecting pedestrian flows towards the project. Vibrant street-facing retail creates an engaging urban interface in the northwest. Setbacks provide pedestrian buffers at corners and lead visitors to the retail area. A skyscraper in the southeast ensures privacy while offering panoramic lake views. A central courtyard acts as a cultural hub, blending traditional urban cohesion with modern functionality.
Asymmetrical forms break rigid outlines, while varied façade materials create a vibrant atmosphere, maintaining commercial visibility while enhancing pedestrian experience. The design blends single and double-layer curtain wall systems using ultra-clear insulated glass, light gray Low-E glass, and laminated tempered glass, interwoven with gold and gray glass panels and corrugated aluminum-backed panels, creating striking visual focal points.
The office tower draws inspiration from Hunan’s distinctive rocky peaks, reorganising its rigid form into four rectangular volumes through geometric structuring. Its staggered silhouette mimics rugged mountain ridges, creating a dynamic dialogue between the skyline and podium architecture. The tower features light gray double-glass curtain walls, with varied façade accents enhancing visual richness. Integrated decorative louvers improve shading and reduce energy consumption.
A massive LED screen in the golden glass crown displays dynamic lighting effects tailored to various needs. This feature not only reshapes Changsha’s skyline but also fosters an interactive connection between the high-rise and urban life.
‘We envision Changsha Jinmao Tower as a timeless architecture, carrying the history of the Xiang River while revitalising the district’s future.’ Dr. Andy Wen shares.
