Guangzhou, China
Completed last month in Guangzhou, China, the Innovation Center for High-Performance Medical Devices (IHM GBA) by Georg Pichler of HENN Architecture with Hua Giao and Leander Adrian weaves together different functions from laboratories and research rooms to spaces for informal gathering, exchange, and offices.
The Innovation Center for High-Performance Medical Devices (IHM GBA) is located at the center of ‘Bio Island’ in Guangzhou, which is dedicated to biomedical research and technology.
Its design cleverly combines laboratories and research rooms for the development of high-performance medical devices, with areas for informal exchange and open office spaces.
In order to interweave the different functions and make optimal use of the square property, HENN developed an X-shaped building floor plan.
The areas in the building wings, clearly defined as laboratories or offices, overlap in the middle of the building and create spaces that are shared by all employees.
While the grid of columns is denser in the laboratories, it is wider in the office wings.
The shape of the floor plan allows for light to reach into the heart of the building, with lush vistas in multiple directions from every wing.
The corners on the inside of the X are curved, in contrast to the sharp outer edges, adding to the quality of the views and creating a dynamic composition of lines along the facade.
The Innovation Center is composed of three floating volumes separated by multi-story, open-air terraces that function as sky gardens.
These double-height spaces create a playful rhythm of shifting volumes.
The lower volume hosts public functions, including a lobby, exhibition hall, show lab, and café.
The middle volume above houses laboratories, meeting rooms, and multipurpose rooms, while the top floor contains offices.
The Innovation Center represents a new typology in high-density vertical architecture, combining experimentation and research spaces with collaborative work environments.
HENN’s design functions as a scaffolding for innovation that boosts progress in the development of high-performance medical devices.
Project: Innovation Center for High-Performance Medical Devices (IHM GBA)
Architects: HENN Architecture
Partner in Charge: Georg Pichler
Project Director: Hua Qiao
Design Director: Leander Adrian
Landscape Architects: Hezhan Design
Façade Designers: SuP Ingenieure GmbH
Lighting Designers: RDI
Collaborating Partners: Guangzhou Design Institute Group Co. Ltd.
Client: Chuang Jing Med
Photographer: Tian Fangfang