Image courtesy of SOM

Greenland Central Plaza Parcel A by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill LLP

Jiangxi Nanchang Greenland Central Plaza Parcel A is a complex of mixed-use buildings that anchor a zone of new development in Nanchang, the capital of the Chinese province Jiangxi. The project encompasses four volumes: a pair of low-rise structures housing retail and conference functions accompanied by a pair of identical 303-meter-tall office towers.

Image courtesy of SOM

Completed in 2015, the landmark skyscrapers are the tallest buildings in Nanchang. Standing 100 meters apart, the skyscrapers make references to nature that range from an unfurling rose to plumes of molten metal. To achieve their organic shape, the towers’ square footprints parallel the street and rotate 45 degrees as they rise; this scheme was executed via parametric model, and has the added functional benefit of optimizing access at grade and aligning office space to the Ganjiang River.

Image courtesy of SOM

The towers’ twisting frames are finished in cold-bent glass; each facade panel has been warped as much as to 1.5 percent out of plane to achieve a consistent reflective, luminous appearance. A freestanding canopy employing a complex cable-net support system foots each tower. Both skyscrapers feature crowns of precisely spaced and angled glass panels.

Image courtesy of SOM

The design of this uppermost feature maximizes permeability in the prevailing wind direction, in order to minimize wind loading at the base of the towers. Meanwhile, the panels appear most dense in the dominant visual direction, making the towers seem as if they are dissolving into the horizon. The shapes create a strong statement on Nanchang’s developing skyline.

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