XIANG RIVER TOWER _ CHANGSHA, CHINA _ 2013 | ROMOLO CALABRESE

BUILT-UP AREA: 60.000 sqm - 650.000 sqft TYPE: Office, Hospitality, Residential Xiang River Tower is an office and residential project in Changsha, a city under heavy development in China. Located near the Xiang river, in a prime area of the city’s downtown, the tower dominates the whole horizon becoming a landmark and a strong, elegant presence on the skyline. The tower comes from the idea of chinese boxes contained in a single bigger box: each of them, stacked on top of another, include several programs. Luxury residences occupy the upper half of the tower and a hotel is in the lower part, followed by a portion occupied by premium office spaces. On the top levels, amenity floors joining the three programs will include recreation rooms and a Spa; additional amenities are on the landscaped roof of the tower and include a pool, a pavilion and a Belvedere. At the base, different type of leisure spaces, create an extension of the square and of the public parks linking these different spaces in a unique one; furthermore the large entrance hall serves as a point of distribution of the entire tower and creates a meeting place for different types of users. The Xiang River Tower, due to its considerable height, has a natural temperature gradient and a higher wind speed that reduce the need for cooling, and thus can be considered an example of sustainable building. This strategy recalls using wind towers to cool buildings, an ecological way to deal with future environmentals needs. Moreover, in addition to visible sustainable design strategies such as the double skin and the use of natural ventilation, the tower will integrate advanced building systems for energy efficiency.