Qianhai Prisma Towers - Shenzhen

Andy Song

While I was in China in August, I learned that BIG is developing another project in Shenzhen (in addition to the 2017 Shenzhen Energy Mansion project). The Qianhai Prisma Towers are set to begin construction in 2025, but the design renders have been released on BIG's website already. This project features two adjacent towers, a 250m tall office building and a 300m tall residential building with a blocky modular design.

Tapered Structure

The two towers are tapered, meaning they narrow in at the top and extend at the bottom (illustrated to the right).

Firstly, this is good because the building has more structural support; with a wider base, the building's load is distributed more evenly. Also, the building gets less wind resistance near the top, which reduces wind vibrations.

Secondly, it opens up public spaces like the main entrance of the office building (second picture to the right), which improves quality of life for residents and people working there.

However, tapering the top gets rid of more space as you get higher, as the area of the roof is much less than that of the base. This is unproductive in a megacity like Shenzhen where space is very limited and property prices are through the roof.

Additional Features

Something this project has considered well is transportation. East of the site is current Guangzhou - Shenzhen Intercity Railway, and to the west might be the Hong Kong - Shenzhen Western Express Railway if implemented. People will be able to access these two railways from the below-grade (basement) floors of the two buildings. Furthermore, the site plans to have 966 bicycle parking spots for those not taking public transit. This is a good quality of life improvement for commuters coming to work and residents leaving the site.

The project also has several impressive sustainable technological features, but these are only theoretical and have yet to be implemented. By the time the project has finished construction, I'll update this blog on the results; in the meantime, here's a list of some planned features cited on the BIG website:

1. Rainwater collection off sloped curtain walls

2. Photovoltaic cells installations in office tower east and west facade

3. Natural ventilation built into apartment windows

4. Green terraces in negative space of tapered towers

5. Scenic views from all angles