Zaha Hadid’s two ‘dancing’ towers are being built in the middle of an office basin through which 300,000 people pass every day. Tower C of the Shenzhen Bay Super Headquarters Base complex is actually two skyscrapers with a large connector and an even larger podium on which green terraces have been designed. The base of the 400 m tall skyscraper will include flats, a transfer centre, meadows and even wetlands. Zaha Hadid Architects aims to create a futuristic and self-sufficient skyscraper using photovoltaics and aquaponic systems.
City of the great eagle
Back in the 1970s, Shenzen was a medium-sized city by Chinese standards. Today, it is the third largest city in the country and the population of the Shenzen metropolitan area is around 24 million. The city has the fourth largest port in the world and the eighth largest financial centre, and in terms of GDP the metropolis is overtaking neighbouring Hong Kong. It is no wonder that it was in Shenzen that Zaha Hadid’s architects designed such a futuristic and innovative skyscraper complex. The building blocks resemble a dancing couple frozen in motion.
Tower C will be an integral part of the city’s green area. It will be possible to walk from the city green belt to the skyscraper plaza, which will become a busy point on the map of Shenzen. At the base of the building will be an interchange centre connected to an extensive metro system. This type of urban railway in Shenzen is the sixth largest system in the world, and it should be noted that the first of the sixteen metro lines was handed over only twenty years ago.
Futurist
The vertical city begins with a platform of green terraces overgrown with lush vegetation. The flowing forms of the stepped terraces will be covered by a large link connecting the two towers. The façade design uses curtain walls to help insulate the building. This solution will also improve ventilation. Particularly impressive are the ribs, which make the individual sections of the glass façade appear both smooth and jagged. Interestingly, the designers have indicated that they want to use as much recycled material as possible in the construction of the skyscraper.
Advanced facility management systems will allow the skyscraper, which offers a total area of as much as 440,000 square metres, to be managed in a self-sufficient and environmentally friendly manner. Such systems may include those related to water storage, recycling and photovoltaics. By far the most interesting and forward-looking solution is an aquaponic system operating on all terraces.
Fish, plants and bacteria
Aquaponics is about creating a cycle of relationships between fish, bacteria and plants. Classical aquaponic systems are used to produce food like tomatoes or lettuce. The plants feed the fish, whose faeces are broken down by bacteria and worms. The fertiliser produced in this process gives nutrients to the plants. The architects at Zaha Hadid want to use this system to filter wastewater biologically, thus reducing chemical pollution. Although this method has been known in its modern form since the 1930s, it is now gaining popularity, especially among large developments.
Construction of Tower C is expected to be completed in 2027, and in addition to the offices and listed amenities, there will also be space inside for a hotel, a gallery and retail and catering units. The development will become an integral part of a huge metropolis that is steadily surpassing its development potential. Expressive, flowing forms are even the hallmark of Zaha Hadid’s architects, which can also be seen in the case of the Shenzen skyscraper. However, in addition to the dancing volume, the advanced technological solutions that will support the self-sufficiency of the large complex should be appreciated in Tower C.
Photo source: Zaha Hadid Architects
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