Biocell Campus

In the middle of Guangzhou's Bio-Tech Island, HENN is building the new BioCell Research and Development Centre, a multifunctional and interdisciplinary centre for world-leading research on human cell genealogy. At the Centre, medical technology innovation on stem cells will be promoted and regenerative therapeutic services provided. Thus, the BioCell project represents an important milestone for the development of the biomedical industry in the Greater Bay Area as well as for global scientific progress in cell research.
The design of the project is directly derived from the principle of cell division and fusion. The design has been inspired by the aesthetics and formal language of merging cells, resulting in a three-part main building that appears to be a coherent ensemble as viewed through a membrane. This is supplemented by two further buildings of similar organic design. The round facade is contrasted by an efficient grid on the inside, which provides clear orientation and functional division. Green inner courtyards and outdoor areas function as recreational and meeting spaces and enable a high natural-light incidence.
On the lower level, the three project parts act as independent organisms and convey lightness and openness in the building fabric. As soon as users move around the floors, the building becomes one unit, with strong connection of the individual building sections through bridges and terraces. This creates a networked spatial structure that provides optimal conditions for formal and informal exchange as well as for interdisciplinary research and communication.