Samsung’s Evolution
Construction of the new 56-storey SMDP, LLC-designed Samsung headquarters broke ground on 27 February in Beijing. The 2 million sq ft project will be one of 16 new global corporate headquarters located within the eastern central business district currently being developed.
Samsung chose Chicago-based international architecture firm SMDP to lead design efforts because of the firm’s previous work coupled with its global experience and knowledge of working with Samsung.
The brief set to SMDP was for a simple yet refined design that was striking without being animated. With an appreciation for the technical expertise of high-rise design, SMDP worked with Samoo Architects and Engineers, from Seoul, to deliver a look that was both state of the art and enduring. The result is a 250m-high tower containing Samsung office spaces, a museum, day-care facilities, a cafeteria, an auditorium and retail spaces all cohesively integrated into the operations of the company.
“The design principles are to deliver a refined, state of the art and efficient design that represents Samsung’s culture and identity. The tower is monumental in form – solid and white, honest and pure,” said SMDP Project Principal Dae Hong Minn.
The tower concept layers the story of the evolution of Samsung vertically from the tower’s foundation to its top. The base is defined by bright, open public spaces that make the building welcoming while representing the very foundation of Samsung – its people. The white glass frames reference the history and reflect the company’s original headquarters in Seoul, Korea.
The middle of the building shows prosperity and growth through a series of sky gardens while a solid wall continues through the tower and up the building representing stability. Finally, the tower is crowned at the top corner with a cube symbolizing the vision and innovation of Samsung, the company’s core concept.
“Within this simplicity, innovative state-of-the-art systems are used, from the elegant and smooth glazed exterior wall to the environmental and occupant comfort systems. As a result, we are presenting a tower that reflects the culture and identity of our client: simple, elegant, innovative, efficient and beautiful,” said SMDP Design Principal Scott Sarver.
SMDP