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Concept. The design aims to create an office building with green rooftop terraces to enrich the spatial hierarchy and add interest. Ensuring the long-term survival and safety of plants on the terraces in the climate of northern cities presents a challenge. To address this issue, waterproof root-blocking techniques are used for terrace greening, along with the cultivation of climbing plants. The design incorporates a rapid drainage system to ensure the quick removal of excess rainwater, without adding instantaneous load, to guarantee the safety of the planted terraces. Additionally, wind-resistant structures are integrated within the terraces to stabilize the plants. Evergreen climbing plants are selected to ensure visual effects while reducing the risk of falling objects from heights.
Site and Form. The project occupies a land area of 4,577.4 square meters with a floor area ratio of 4.2. The total above-ground construction area is 19,200 square meters, primarily designated for commercial and office purposes. The site is a narrow rectangular shape, 50 meters wide from east to west and 90 meters long from north to south. To create a harmonious skyline that extends from both the northern and southern sides, the basic architectural form consists of a 70-meter-high slab building. Considering the impact of the slab building on the residential plot to the east, each two floors are setback and differentiated, resulting in a distinctive and dynamic form through overlapping and shifting spaces.
Context and Texture. The facades of the building are treated using two different approaches. On the northern, western, and eastern sides, which correspond to the old city area, contemporary techniques are employed to echo the historical architecture of the old city. The facades feature a grid-like pattern composed of standard units, each measuring 8.4 meters in height and 4.5 meters in width. The outer frames are made of deep gray aluminum panels, while the inner frames are made of antique bronze aluminum panels and glass curtain walls. This composition creates a facade effect where vertical sloping aluminum panels intersect with the glass curtain walls. The overall orderly grid pattern, combined with the dark bronze material, exhibits a strong rhythmic sense under different lighting conditions, providing a contrasting and highly ordered visual experience. This imparts a classical beauty to the building. When moving from the south to the north, corresponding to the inner side of the new city area, a modern, simple, and clean glass curtain wall is used, combined with staggered terraces, to create a glass structure suspended on the south side of the building. This generates an appealing and personalized outward expansion space with a sense of stacking. By employing this approach, various-sized private terraces or public gardens are formed, allowing greenery to extend upwards.
Conclusion In response to the ever-changing urban landscape, the project explores the expansion of office spaces outward in a vertical direction, integrating differentiated spatial experiences into traditional office spaces and enhancing the joy and architectural forms. It also represents a rare implementation of an aerial terrace garden system in northern cities.
TIANHUA TIANJIN was founded in 2014. Our professional team includes about 100+ architects and designers from multiple perspectives and diverse back-grounds. We endeavour to create refined works of architecture, urban design, landscape and other spatial design at all scales. Team Work: CHINA NUCLEAR SMART-CITY COMMERCE COMMUNITY, TIANJIN (WINNER OF THE PLAN AWARD 2020 | MIXED USE) NANKAI CENTENNIAL HALL (FINALIST OF THE PLAN AWARD 2020| EDUCATION) ARTSEN HUZHOU HOTEL (WINNER OF THE PLAN AWARD 2021 | HOSPITALITY) CNOOC Zuo An Lan Ting (WINNER OF THE PLAN AWARD 2021 | MIXED USE)
