CASE STUDY

Project Name: VANKE CENTER/ Horizontal

Skyscraper

Location: Shenzhen, China

Area: 1,296,459 sf

Architect: Steven Holl

Style: Contemporary

Main Function: hotel, offices, serviced apartments,

and public park
The Vanke Center houses a variety of functions,
including:
• Office space for Vanke, a major Chinese real
estate developer
• Luxury apartments
• A five-star hotel
• Restaurants and bar
• Shop
 Skyscraper is lifted off the ground plane to Linear shape of skyscraper is
Program in traditional skyscraper Traditional vertical skyscraper turned on its
create urban and landscaped environment. manipulated to create form that caters
side
Programmatic relationship are combined to view and program.
into one building.

Horizontal skyscraper is bent off axis The only vertical components are the Program is divided into three parts:
to maximize views of mountains, lakes structural circulation columns. hotel, apartments and offices.
and ocean.
 Porous louvers

Green Roof

Shenzhen Windows
• Green roof with solar panels: This helps to reduce the
building's energy consumption.
• Greywater system: This system recycles wastewater for
irrigation and other non-potable uses.
• Porous louvers: These louvers help to shade the
building's facade, reducing the need for air
conditioning.
• Green Roof: The artificial wetlands and green roof are
lead to reduction the rainwater runoff. Solar Panel
• Shenzhen Windows: These sunken glass cubes offer
360-degree views of the surrounding landscape.
• Solar Panel: Solar panels are a key component of the
building's energy strategy, contributing to the reduction Greywater system
of energy consumption.
- The cable-stay technology, which shares similarities
with suspension bridges, is essential in enhancing the
building's weight reduction, openness, and structural
efficiency.
- In the Vanke Center, the cable-stay system resembles a
suspension bridge, with the top platform functioning as
the bridge deck and the eight support cores acting as
towers.
- This intricate network of cables extends from the
platform to the support cores, forming a web-like
structure that effectively distributes the building's weight
to the ground.
B1

- The Vanke Center challenges the norm of vertical skyscrapers by

stretching horizontally.
1F
- It has a unique undulating form that spans across the landscape.
- The building appears to be floating due to its elevated position on V-
2F
shaped columns.

1) Bar 7) Business Node

2) Restaurant 8) Semi-Public Interior
3F
3) Shops Path
4) Office Lobby 9) Community Node
5) Glass shadow 10) Hotel Node
6) Office Node 11) Sculpture Garden
12) Amphitheater
4F

5F

Hotel
6F Apartment
Home office
Office
7F
Conference room

Program Function Diagram Path Diagram

Strength Weakness
• The horizontal skyscraper concept and • The use of surrounding public places and
integration with a public garden create a buildings may be impacted by shadows
visually striking and iconic landmark. cast by the horizontal form, depending on
• The elevated position offers breathtaking its height and orientation.
views of the surroundings.
• No separate service entry.
• The design prioritizes natural light and
open spaces in order to enhance occupant • No separate fire exists
comfort and worker efficiency.

Site plan
 5th floor

4th floor

3rd floor

2nd floor

1st floor

Ground floor

Basement 1

Basement 2
 Service
Mechanical room
Spa
Conference Center
Outdoor swimming pool
Video Conference
Meeting Room
Auditorium
Core
Hotel Service
Indoor swimming pool
Basement 1 Parking
 Parking

Mechanical room

Basement 2 Core
 Bar
Outdoor swimming pool

Restaurant
Lobby
Core

Marble plaza
Ramp
Shop
Amphitheater
Ground floor plan Auditorium
 Human circulation

Vehicular circulation

Circulation
1st floor plan

Gym/ Community
Space

Office

Apartments

Home Office

Hotel

2nd floor plan Reception/ Lobby

3rd floor plan

Office

Apartments

Home Office

4th floor plan Hotel

5th floor plan

Office

Apartments

Home Office

6th floor plan

 SECTION 1

1) Service SECTION 2
2) Mechanical room
3) Meeting room
4) Car park
5) Video Conference room
6) Conference Center
7) Water Garden
8) Indoor Swimming Pool
9) Locker Room
10) Conference Center lobby
11) Auditorium
12) Hotel Service
13) Spa
14) Outdoor Swimming Pool SECTION 3
“Central location”

“Aims to counter the current privatized urban

developments in China by creating a new twenty-
first century porous urban space, inviting and open
to the public from every side”.

“Open city within a city” - “Porous”

 “project concept”
“This project offers a new urban model for Beijing”

“collectivity”

Traditional neighborhood
City of pockets
Alternative

City of objects City of spaces

The top level of the towers private roof gardens are connected to the
penthouses

The intermediate level of the lower buildings, public roofs gardens offer
tranquil.

The ground level offers a number of open passages for all people.

sky bridges level

intermediate level

ground level
Ground level
“Urban porosity – able to walk to all
the functions of the base”
“In the spirit of pedestrian”
“24 hour urban life- multi
functional “
All public functions on the ground level have connections with the green spaces surrounding and
penetrating the project.
Accessibility

For all people

Cinema- becomes a place of gathering

Becomes an emblem
Forms a “central park”
Landscape - related to cycle of life
Each ones of the mounds has programmatic activities-
cycled through time and life

All landscape aspects are part of sustainability attitudes

Intermediate level

“I don’t call it a detail, I call it

a new type of domestic
space, the 21th century
needs domestic spaces”

Closed door – privacy

Opened door – connect across perspectives, new feeling of interior
Roof garden

limited access only for residents

semi-public space
Sky bridges level
“A multi-functional series of
skybridges with a swimming
pool, a fitness room, a café, a
gallery, auditorium and a mini
salon connects the eight
residential towers and the hotel
tower, and offers spectacular views
over the unfolding city”.

“We created a porous

place that invites people
inside”
Public space
Top level

“private roof gardens are connected to the penthouses”