Construction of Steven Holl Architects’ Sliced Porosity Block is making progress in Chengdu, China. The large hybrid complex topped out at a 123 meters in September and is scheduled for completion in 2012. The five towers house offices, serviced apartments, retail, a hotel, cafes, and restaurants. The 105,000 square foot site will stimulate a micro-urbanism and offer generous amounts of public open space.
Architects: Steven Holl Architects Location: Chengdu, China Project Area: 310,000 sqm Project Year: In Progress Under Construction Photographs: Steven Holl Architects
The environmentally state of the art skyscrapers are described by Steven Holl as “a poetic form shaped by sunlight.” The precisely calculated sun angles that guides the geometry is a result of code required minimum daylight exposures to the surrounding urban fabric. Porous entrances, a multi-level urban terrace and sculpted pathways of circulation flanked with vegetation warmly welcome visitors. Overlapping geometries of black and white are illuminated by color, playfully glowing from retail signage.
The Sliced Porosity Block is geo-thermally heated and cooled. Large plaza ponds harvest recycled rainwater while natural grasses and lily pads cool the outdoor public space. High-performance glazing, energy-efficient equipment and the use of regional materials are a few methods employed to reach a LEED gold rating.
See conceptual drawings, the physical model, and early construction photographs on our previous ArchDaily post here.
Design Architect: Steven Holl, Li Hu Associate in Charge: Roberto Bannura Project Architects: Lan Wu, Haiko Cornelissen, Peter Englaender, JongSeo Lee Project Designer: Christiane Deptolla, Inge Goudsmit, Maki Matsubayashi, Sarah Nichols, Martin Zimmerli Project Team: Justin Allen, Jason Anderson, Francesco Bartolozzi, Guanlan Cao, Yimei Chan, Sofie Holm Christensen, Esin Erez, Ayat Fadaifard, Mingcheng Fu, Forrest Fulton, Runar Halldorsson, M. Emran Hossain, Joseph Kan, Suping Li, Tz-Li Lin, Yan Liu, Jackie Luk, Daijiro Nakayama, Pietro Peyron, Roberto Requejo, Elena Rojas-Danielsen, Michael Rusch, Ida Sze, Filipe Taboada, Manta Weihermann, Ebbie Wisecarver, Human Tieliu Wu, Jin- Ling Yu Associate Architects: China Academy of Building Research MEP and Fire Engineer: Ove Arup & Parners LEED Consultant: Ove Arup & Parnters Structural Engineer: China Academy of Building Research Quantity Surveyor: Davis Langdon & Seah Traffic Consultant: MVA Hong Kong Ltd Client: CapitaLand Development
