A new landmark for Hangzhou

The Wangchao Center is a prominent addition to Qianjiang Century Town, an expansion to the city of Hangzhou, China, that has emerged as a bustling commercial center. Located adjacent to one of the city’s new subway stations, the project exemplifies smart, transit-oriented development. It introduces 125,000 square meters of office, hotel and retail space, complemented by an expansive public plaza.

The province of Zhejiang is known for tea plantations and its West Lake, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and these features inspired the design of the tower. The form of the building echoes the plantations’ rolling hills and the lake’s rippling waves with a distinctive undulating silhouette.

More than just a bold architectural move, the curving tower profile solves several challenges at once. As the architect, structural engineer, and MEP engineer, SOM designed the building through an integrated process that resulted in a highly efficient engineering solution. The design reduces material quantities while providing the strength and flexibility to resist seismic forces. It conceals the mechanical systems, brings in fresh air, and varies the size of the floor plates to accommodate the needs of diverse tenants.

Engineered for efficiency and resilience

To protect the tower against seismic activity, the structure combines a central concrete core with inclined perimeter columns and a series of curving mega-columns at the building’s edge. The core and perimeter columns support composite steel floor framing and truss deck slabs, working in tandem with the mega-columns. As the mega-columns slope apart, secondary perimeter columns branch out to maintain equal column bays. All the inclined columns follow the tower’s form and act as mega-braces, without ever converging on one location, which makes the building resistant to earthquakes.

Mechanical equipment is concealed within the corners of the floors where the mega-columns columns slope apart. The enclosure design also includes a custom-designed spandrel, hidden behind small grilles, to allow tenants to manually open ventilators that bring in fresh air.

Streetscape and community spaces

Many of the office towers in Qianjiang Century Town occupy full city blocks, limiting pathways through the neighborhood. The Wangchao Center creates a different experience. The tower and a complementary 10-story building occupy just a fraction of the site. Between and around the buildings, the layout of the plaza is designed for movement, with pathways surrounded by ponds and plantings. The tower lobby design allows for foot traffic to flow around the building’s travertine-clad core. The floors above, including two sky lobbies, follow this orientation. At the crown, a large amenity level provides space for gatherings and events with sweeping views of the city.