Turning the workplace inside out

Located in Xuhui, one of Shanghai’s premiere arts and innovation districts, a new workplace for Alibaba’s Shanghai campus turns the typical headquarters “inside out” to showcase the multinational company’s talent, collaboration, and creativity.

The new headquarters greatly expands the company’s Shanghai campus, and is located adjacent to a building for offices and external programs. Designed as a composition of cantilevered volumes and reflective surfaces that evokes a cloud formation, the headquarters symbolizes both Alibaba’s extraordinary digital presence as a leader in cloud computing, as well as the technology industry’s shifting skies of innovation.

A flexible, user-controlled headquarters

The building’s modular design is both highly efficient and flexible. Indoor-outdoor workspaces will support hybrid work and collaborative team structures. Smart technology infrastructure and biophilic design features, including natural ventilation, terraces, and green roofs, will further support employee wellness.

At the center of the “cloud,” an interior courtyard serves as a central location for programs and team meetings. Along the exterior perimeter, collaborative work and gathering spaces seamlessly extend onto outdoor terraces, providing employees with access to nature, fresh air, and views of the Huangpu River, which weaves through the heart of the city. An optimized, long-span structure enables column-free interior space for maximum flexibility as teams expand, contract, and overlap. “Collaboration bridges” and communicating stairs create places for smaller-scale exchange and connections between individual team members.

Sustainable design informed by climate

An ambitious sustainability program is at the center of the building’s design. Exceeding the requirements for LEED v4 and China Green Star certifications, the new headquarters is designed to reduce both embodied and operational carbon.

The overall design and massing of the building, with its overhangs and sheltered spaces, is configured to redirect up to 40 percent of solar heat gain and minimize glare and wind effects for occupants on the terraces. Temperature moderation is further enabled with an AI-controlled shading system that responds to the movement of the sun.

The building will be naturally ventilated with smart systems that cycle fresh air and reduce cooling needs in Shanghai’s subtropical climate. The perimeter ventilator—a continuous “break” at the base of each floor in the facade—is one of the first facade air ventilators to be controlled using the building management system, rather than being operated manually. Ventilators are also integrated into the facade to provide fresh air. At the top of the building, roof gardens will harvest rainwater.