Solomon Cordwell Buenz design sophisticated office block
This project was an entry in a competition sponsored by the city of Qingdao. The office tower is created as a monumental
piece of high-tech sculpture. It incorporates
state-of-the-art technology not only in its
internal mechanical, electrical, and communication
systems; it celebrates sophisticated
technology in the design and detailing of
the exterior wall systems.
Thirty six floors
provide 76,000 square meters of gross office
area. The planning of the office floors are
fundamental to a flexible, efficient business
environment.
The “Climatized Wall” at the
west side of the tower is comprised of two
separate layers of glass separated by a two
meter deep “air curtain”. This layer of air
controls the interior environment, and can be
manipulated in response to outside temperature
conditions by two means: a) the flow
of air through this space is controlled by the
amount by which adjustable windows are
deployed at the bottom and the top of each
three-story zone; and b) the amount of solar
energy absorbed by the building is controlled
by adjustable louvers within this two meter
space. Both the operable windows and the
adjustable louver systems are controlled by
the central computer-operated building management
system, which balances the indoor
temperature, internal humidity levels, and
solar penetration.
|
