The administrative center of Shaanxi province in the northwestern part of the PRC should become the starting point of the so-called New Silk Road - an ambitious project designed to form the infrastructure for strong trade ties in the modern world. Part of this plan was the creation of an International Trade and Logistics Center on the outskirts of Xi'an. It was on its territory that the Midwest Commodity Exchange Center (MCEC) arose.
The complex of buildings with a total area of 326,200 m2 is rather complicatedly organized: it consists of seven towers, each with its own solution and symbolic meaning. Along the boundaries of the site are towers A, C, D and E, which the architects call “bridges”. They are connected in two and oriented to the cardinal points, symbolizing trade links between North and South, West and East. At the opposite corner of the site there are two hexagonal column-like towers F and G, which act as "gates". And finally, between towers A and C, there is another, the most important volume. The sophisticated, upward-expanding shape of Tower B is inspired by one of the national treasures of Japan: the so-called "golden seal of the Wang of the country of Na", created in China in the 1st century AD. Such seals - incans - were traditionally used as a personal signature when concluding important transactions and agreements.
Taken together, the towers form a very complex, yet carefully calculated and highly dynamic silhouette. Since the MCEC-based companies are involved in the metal trade, the glass façade panels have the proportions of the golden section (the seal tower), the platinum section (the bridge towers) and the bronze section (the gate towers). The panels are installed at different angles, so that the facades of the side buildings reflect the honeycomb pattern of the golden mesh that envelops the central volume. Additional comfort of the interior areas is provided by a special pattern applied to the glass and blinds. Also, dynamic LED lighting is installed on the facades and in the evening the whole complex turns into a real attraction.
MCEC buildings include all areas necessary for the functioning of companies. The upper parts of the buildings are occupied by the actual work premises, while the lower ones are concentrated in specific profile, public and communication zones. The interior design was carried out by the Chinese bureau Hallucinate Design Office.
