Francine Houben’s team Mecanoo has designed a bronze skyscraper for the Hengli Group Headquarters in Shenzhen, China. The building will be the world’s largest weaving enterprise in two volumes above a commercial plinth. The project is inspired by the textile tradition of Hengli Group – a bronze metal grid wraps the transperant volumes like threads on a loom.
The building features a 238m high tower, and its two volumes expand to accomodate public space and vegetation on different levels. The plinth ia “carved out” to create a sense of scale and increase permeability at ground level.
The project contains offices and three floors of cultural facilities. A shopping mall with dedicated spaces for concerts and events takes place in 3d and 4th floor. On the 5th floor there is a museum. The lower volume is dedicated to commerce, featuring retail areas, restaurants, cafes and an atrium for events.
Above the ground level plaza the two buildings extend towards each other and connect at the 5th and 6th level, providing shelter from the subtropical climate. On top of the 5-th level is an outdoor space surrounded by stepped green terraces. On this level there are shops, restaurant, leisure areas overseeing the city.
Above this floor, the tower steps back with a series of green roofs and terraces, connecting people to nature and offering panoramic views of Shenzhen Bay. The vegetation on the facade will purify the air and optimize the indoor experience.