Arch2O.com

Arch2O.com - Architecture & Design Magazine
The Skidmore Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM)-designed Zhengzhou Greenland Plaza has opened its doors to its office users. The circular 60-story tower takes its place as the tallest building in the central Chinese city. Located in the northeast portion of Zhengzhou, the 919-feet (280-meter) tall tower?s circular form is a response to the surrounding development?s shape that centers on a man made lake. Zhengzhou Greenland Plaza punctuates the neighborhood and provides the area?and the city?with an iconic new landmark on the skyline.
Courtesy of SOM – Photographs : Si-ye Zhang
The 2.59-million-square-feet (240,169-square-meters) building houses a mixed-use program of offices on its lower floors and a 416-key hotel above. Day-lighting was a key driver of the building?s design. Sophisticated three- to five-story-tall light-gauge painted aluminum screens are configured at an outward cant that enhances interior day lighting through scientifically calculated reflections while protecting the all-glass exterior from solar gain. The screens provide multiple performance and aesthetic-related roles. The same outward cant that aids day-lighting allows for a nuanced approach to artificial lighting, providing outboard locations for dramatic nighttime lighting of the building that make the tower a beacon. Courtesy of SOM – Photographs : Si-ye Zhang
The screens are located between one and two-meters from the building?s cu...