ROCK TOWER

The city of Chongqing lies between two mountain ranges at the intersection of the Yangtze and Jialing Rivers. The region is known for its astonishing scenery of mountain and river gorge. The steep and dramatic landscape of the surrounding terrain continues into Chongqing itself, famously known as the 'Mountain City'. The Rock is a 60-storey commercial tower in Chongqing. Its form is generated as the logical, contextual response to the topographical features that surround the city. The structure is intended to be both natural and embedded in its surroundings, at the same time being a distinctive and recognisable sculptural form. The office floor consists of a traditional central core with one row of columns along the perimeter edge, creating column-free space internally. A five-storey restaurant at the top of the tower provides dramatic views of the city. At the street level, a four-storey retail podium and public plaza create activity and life around the base of the tower The Rock is inspired by Alberto Giacometti's 1934 bronze sculpture, Cube.