Nanning, China
Located in Nanning, China, the capital of the Guangxi province, Goettsch Partners’ 86-story Guangxi China Resources Tower is situated along the main east-west road is the city’s tallest building, totals 272,260 square meters, and is composed of the 336-key Shangri-La Nanning hotel, 172,740 square meters of office space, and 5,930 square meters of retail.
Inspired by the crystalline forms representing the strength and timeless beauty associated with the mountains of Guangxi, the tower’s faceted and fragmented geometry provides a multitude of surfaces upon which to reflect the changing light qualities of the tropical sky.
For its design and sustainable standtards, the project has recently been awarded a 2023 American Architecture Award by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.
In this way, the character of the tower changes throughout the day, mirroring the mood of the city.
Horizontal sunshades extend across the facade in a consistent texture, shading the floor-to-ceiling glass of the building’s interior spaces.
The tower integrates efficient office and hotel floor plans into a compositional massing and tapered form that directly reflects the internal planning of the building’s two main functions.
Located on the lower floors, the office program is distinguished with a single-sided taper of the south facade that strategically reduces the floor plate depths as the tower rises, in response to the stepping core.
Atop the office volume, a dramatic shift in the building profile occurs as the hotel program emerges.
A monumental terrace at Level 71 caps the lower volume and creates a unique outdoor sky space, featuring the hotel pool.
Unmatched views of the surrounding lakes, parks, and mountains extend in all directions, enlivened by the 180-degree view from sunrise to sunset.
The tower’s mix of functions creates a 24-hour building, which is supported by its internal connection to the subway station as well as the adjacent retail complex.
At the base of the tower, separate entrance lobbies provide distinct arrival points for the office and hotel users.
The adjacent four-level podium provides a scaled transition link between the tower and retail, while functionally housing the hotel meeting facilities and creating an outdoor rooftop garden for the office tenants.
Designed to LEED Gold standards with an emphasis on sustainable sites and energy optimization, the tower is an integral component of a larger multi-use development.
Interconnected podium and basement floors form a cohesive network of buildings optimized to benefit the larger master planned development.
External sunshades and a high-performance facade enclosure system help to reduce energy loads while delivering natural light and exceptional views to all floors.
master-planned.
Optimized mechanical systems maximize the efficiency of their operation to minimize energy and water consumption while creating a comfortable indoor environment.
Throughout the building, the highest quality materials are used to emphasize longevity and durability, reducing the future impact on the region’s natural resources.
Project: Guangxi China Resources Tower
Architects: Goettsch Partners
Lead Architect: Paul De Santis
Associate Architects: CCDI International (Shenzhen) Design Consultants Co., Ltd.
General Contractor: China Construction Eighth Engineering Division
Client: China Resources Land Limited (CR Land)
Photographers: Arch-Exist
