Check out the Shoukai Vanke Centre Beijing by CLOU architects
Beijing’s Daxing area has been envisioned as a new gateway to the city. Located in the heart of Daxing district, the project operates as a key piece and the largest building complex within the regional development so far. The triangular tips of the floor plates become sky-garden balconies whose terraces provide a comfortable outdoor seating area. CLOU sees the outdoor workspace as a logical next step in the evolution of office culture.
Shoukai Vanke Centre is a 132,000 sqm mixed-use development which is composed of a 26,000 sqm shopping mall, a 124-meter-tall office tower as well as a hotel.
The office tower has a triangular shape which creates a strong presence at the main intersection yet appears elegant and slim from other points. The triangular shape is the result of a series of pragmatic decisions which include maximising views towards the newly built park and integrating double-height sky-garden balconies into the tips of the floorplates. The terraces provide comfortable outdoor seating areas with spectacular views over the adjacent park.
The sky gardens balconies in the office towers across two floors provide a comfortable outdoor seating area with spectacular views over the adjacent park. While the design of the rooftop garden employs bright colours, lively forms, and landscape by BAM to engage visitors and promote opportunities for physical activities and playfulness.
The commercial complex will offer primarily F&B retail which provides the opportunity to create unconventional dining experiences. Utilising this program, CLOU created a network of large terraces that are strategically placed and act as an extension of the shopfront. Elevated escalators and walkways connect to the adjacent terraces and weave the development into the 3D urban pedestrian network. This creates a central space that offers a view of overlapping planes and interlacing lines. The terraces have the flexibility for varying functions ranging from temporary booths, open bars, seating for dining, or even casual relaxation zones.
Photo credit: Amey Kandalgaonkar BAM
Sanlitun is a vibrant urban quarter in Beijing, home to Apple’s first store in China built in 2008. Relocating to a more prominent site adjacent to the previous, Apple Sanlitun seeks to create a new dialogue with the surrounding pedestrian streets, addressing the large open square that is a social focus for the district.
Drawing on the vibrant energy of the area, Apple Sanlitun has a porous building envelope that opens out onto all four sides and connects to the multi-layered circulation network. The principal glazed façade facing the central square floods the display areas inside with natural light. Two monumental stone staircases on either side of the store lead up to the Genius Grove on the upper level. Lined with trees that add greenery to the perimeter, the glazed façade to the rear allows light into the space and dematerialises the boundary between the inside and the outside. The Forum, situated within the grand upper level, forms an animated backdrop to the space, which steps down with integrated upholstered leather seating forming a viewing gallery for the lively square outside.
The store is protected by a large overhanging roof providing shelter from the heavy rain and intense summer sun. 390 square-metres of integrated rooftop photovoltaic panels partially offset the energy consumption of the store and a bespoke integrated ceiling system seamlessly houses ventilation, cooling, fire protection equipment and lighting equipment. Additional energy saving measures include advanced façade design, optimised air conditioning and efficient lighting systems.
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