A department store in Shenzhen, China, is currently undergoing a major transformation into what the architect describes as an "a new sustainable and iconic design for the city." Designed by Aedas, the Shenzhen Luoho Friendship Trading Centre will include a new skyscraper and a "vibrant and porous" 7-story retail podium. Integrated landscaping and green balconies turn the development into an "urban oasis" in the heart of the city.
The project sits in the central zone of Luohu, and partially takes its formal attributes from the surrounding urban fabric. The sweeping, staggered profiles of the retail podium respond to the bustling streets surrounding the Centre, as if the podiums were sculpted by these dynamic forces. The design also takes reference from naturally occurring forms, as described by Aedas in their press release:
Architectural form drew inspiration from nature and imitates a beautiful Calla Lily. The curtain wall wraps around the tower and resembles the elegant petals as the translucent podium rooftop. The generous petal roof brings natural daylight deep into the open-air, multiple-plane retail arcade and induces air flow current for natural ventilation.
The "petals" provide shading for leisure and activities in the terraces, and integrated landscape through the complex introduces crucial green space. Several green balconies dotted across the retail podium break up the visual bulk of the building. These green balconies extend along one face of the tower, increasing the building's image as a "green oasis" in the city skyline.
Architects
Location
63 You Yi Lu, RenMin NanLu, Luohu Qu, Shenzhen Shi, Guangdong Sheng, China, 518040Director
Wai TangArea
130000.0 m2Project Year
2020Photographs
AedasArchitects
News via Aedas.