Taiyuan Tower

The 174 metre high China Railway Engineering Group Tower in Taiyuan stands on a corner site close to the centre of the central Chinese million-strong metropolis. The building contains 60,000 m² of office space, part of which is to be used by the client and part leased to others. The orthogonal termination of this high-rise conforms with the east-west orientation of the road grid. The octagonal shape in plan of the ground floor on the other hand creates many-sided reference points for the surrounding area. The circulation plan for the tower with main entrances at all cardinal points of the compass emphasises the building’s open character.

A consistent design principle imposes a rhythm on the tower’s glass façade. Narrow lesenes divide the façade surface and stretch as continuous strips right up to the top of the tower. The metal elements structure the façade sections in a vertical counter movement of tapering and widening intervals. Their changing rhythm creates an exciting appearance that emphasises the shape of the high-rise.

The main circulation core in the middle of the tower groups together the lifts that carry the visitors to the sky lounge on the top two floors. With continuous windowed frontages which extend in some places into the roof, this area is designed to provide maximum transparency. The guests can enjoy unobstructed views of the city skyline from the bar and restaurant.