The famous Dutch are close to commissioning four objects in China at once, but so far only the main building of the Hongqiao Central Business District, located between the airport of the same name and the station of the high-speed railway, is fully ready. Already at the beginning of 2016, 110,000 m will open here2 workers, 47,000 m2 shopping and 55,000 m2 parking areas. The composition of the district is assembled from 10 free-standing office buildings (MVRDV is responsible for them), erected on an underground shopping center, which is being built according to a project by Aedas.
For the largest building, an unusual shape was chosen, which, according to the architects, resembles a flower: four independent volumes expanding to the top are connected at the level of the upper floor. The volumes of the remaining 9 buildings will also receive a streamlined outline. The organic form turned out to be as effective as possible. First, the overhanging upper floors and passages shade the lower parts of the building and form comfortable, almost intimate public spaces with a small area in the center. Secondly, the rounded shapes made it possible to achieve the greatest yield of useful areas with the smallest area of the facades. Thirdly, a building with an area of 15,000 m2 3-4 tenants can easily divide among themselves, which will not interfere with each other, at the same time, due to a well-thought-out layout, one large company will also be able to ensure effective interaction between its divisions here.
The building facades are finished with white panels of fiberglass-reinforced concrete, which has good thermal insulation properties. Large openings on the lower floors provide a link between the building and the environment, and the glazing area decreases as the building height increases, helping to reduce air conditioning costs. In general, the energy efficiency of MVRDV has been given great attention, and the complex should receive the highest rating in the PRC for this indicator. In addition to good thermal insulation, optimal shape of buildings and natural ventilation, rainwater collection and a permeable road surface are provided. All measures helped to reduce the so-called “urban heat island effect”. To top it off, the main building (as well as 9 other towers) will receive a green roof. Indeed - a flower.
