Shenzhen, China
Designed by NBBJ with collaborating architecture firms TJA and B+H, the new Tencent Seafront Towers headquarters is located in a new technology district called the Shenzhen High-Tech Industrial Park.
The two towers, one 50 stories and the other 39 stories, ranging from 192- to 250-meters high, are connected by three sky bridges.
Once only a household name to consumers in China, Tencent is now a major player in international e-commerce and web technology.
The architecture reflects the company’s rising international influence, its networked culture and the interconnectivity of the web.
The project acts as a beacon for China in its push to be a leader in global technology.
Dubbed the Synergy Tower, the building provides the value associated with high-rises in urban locations with the connectivity of a low-rise campus.
Whereas the traditional model for corporate design places companies in a singular high-rise or in multiple low-rise buildings, the design here merges the concepts by bringing the best of both together.
Thanks to the open workplaces combined with employee amenities, the headquarters combines the value associated with high-rises in urban locations with the connectivity of a low-rise campus.
Two twin towers rise and redefine the high-rise as a vertical campus, with the two towers linked by amenity-filled bridges that drive innovation and a sense of community.
The linked configuration activates movement and exchange within the workplace, creating horizontal “streetscapes” and vertical connections.
Each bridge is a themed area: the highest is devoted to knowledge with libraries and conference rooms; the middle emphasizes health with an indoor track, basketball courts and a swimming pool.
Energy strategies reduce consumption and carbon emissions by 40% over a typical office tower. In addition, the slight rotation of the towers and their offset heights capture the site’s prevailing winds, ventilating the atria while minimizing exposure to direct sun.
To control glare and heat gain, the curtain wall incorporates a modular shading system that varies according to the degree of sun exposure.
Outdoor gardens on the roofs of the link bridges grant employees access to nature that is proven to increase both health and productivity.
The building accommodates thousands of employees, who together have helped Tencent rank among the largest and most innovative technology companies in the world.
Architects: NBBJ
Collaborating Architects: TJA and B+H
Client: Tencent Holdings Ltd.
Photographers: Tim Griffith
