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MulvannyG2 Architecture aid Fujian Power executives with a design that challenges their bureaucratic stereotype
The brief set to MulvannyG2 was that the design of their new headquarters was to enhance the image of the company from an outdated, bureaucratic utility to a modern innovative energy producer. Likewise, they wanted to express the company’s commitment to alternative energy research, and instil pride in the local citizenry. The response to these issues came in the form of a 31-storey building design that combines both sustainable and aesthetic elements.
Completed mid 2008, the design employs motifs such as diagonal lines, triangles, and natural and artificial light refer to electricity and energy conduction. Materials, design, and low energy-usage are features that help express the company’s commitment to conservation. Eastern and western facades are treated by a process similar to ground-glass that greatly reduces heat radiation whilst extra shade is produced by metal strips vertically arranged on the south and north.
Two planes of double-glazed glass are used so that the layer of air in the middle serves as invisible insulation. A fresh air inlet is arranged at the position of each horizontal aluminium alloy panel. Manually adjustable, the device provides natural ventilation without any operable windows. This arrangement assures safety and reduces noise and dust emanating from the outside. Use of this device is estimated to provide a 25% energy saving.
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