The 260-meter tower is enveloped in curtain walls made of glass panels arranged in a prism-like manner. The high-performance skin captures and refracts daylight, creating an interesting interplay of light and shadow. The isosceles trapezoidal modules taper down and up in an alternating pattern on all sides of the building.
Related: SOM Transforms a Monolithic San Francisco Office Tower into a Bright and Breezy LEED Platinum Vision
The thermally efficient skin is only one among the building’s many sustainable features. Variable speed pumps were incorporated to optimize heating and cooling, while a water-side economizer helps utilize evaporative cooling.
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“Addressing a need for environmentally responsible, mixed-use urban development, Beijing Greenland Center is a highly visible example of how visually striking design can also be highly flexible and sustainable,” said the architects.
+ Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Via Dezeen
