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Studio Libeskind
2018
Shanghai, China
designer
large scale, architecture, tower, office, commercial, design
Nova Shanghai Tower
design studio
year
location
position
categories
Shanghai is the Chinese capital of technology. Its the fastest growing city in China, and is looking to develop its infrastructure along with its capacity to house millions of new citizens and thousands of new businesses and corporations.
Nova tower would be one of the largest and densest in Shanghai. Because of its connection to a large park, historical ancient village, and epicenter of technology, Nova Towers can be seen as stitching new and old together into a innovative and green skyscraper to develop the Shanghai skyline.
The concept is driven mainly by simplistic Chinese characters. Each of the towers holds its own unique shape but can be seen as siblings, each holding its own character and program but related with a common goal. The Nova tower was presented as a large commercial center along with residences, offices, and sky lobbies. Because of the ever increasing population of Shanghai, these towers look to redevelop an understanding of efficiency but maintaining a stark identity and character. The branding of the site as a center for a larger corporate headquarters, draws attention to the fact that the ever growing city needs to maintain an identity of truly Chinese design but with the push for each incoming business to hold its own ground in the exploding city.
The towers connectivity to the nearby park was paramount. In fact, early designs called for a large ramp that would connect the landscape directly with the towers. The green scape facades hold mostly residential balconies on the lower tower and office spill-out spaces on the taller tower.
The twisting rhythm of the facades on the taller tower makes it so that every floor has access to a green-space to increase work efficiency and comfortability.
The podium becomes a hub for commerce and public gathering under a large semi-glazed roof. This interesting stitching of space between public and private creates an overlapping of program in section. By burying the building entrances and raising the podium entrances, we create privacy in the back near the drop-offs and public access through a sky-bridge to the North and a large terracing of stairs at the entrance.
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