Steel Giant Honeycombs

The Chinese central government has named Tianjin, a port city one hour east of Beijing, as the next step in its economic plan. Within Tianjin is planned to create the Binhai New District, the new economic hub of Northern China. This will be achieved in five years. Sino Steel, China’s state owned steel giant, commissioned MAD to create a landmark for this new central business district. According to the MAD’s masterplan the Sinosteel International Plaza complex will comprise two towers: 358 metres office tower and a smaller one hotel building of 88 metres height.

The Tianjin CBD development illuminated a shift in national economic resources from Beijing to Tianjin, and the creation of a future urban metropolis in northern China. What type of architecture would demonstrate these ambitions without The design concept combines geometry, structure and cultural symbolism as a repetitive motif: a hexagonal facade, multiplying and evolving across the building. This facade is made up of five standardize units of hexagonal windows; it signifies the heritage value in Chinese architecture. These windows flow across the building in a naturally evolving pattern, as if organic cells multiplying. This design detail animates the facade, creating an everchanging image of the building from each different perspective.

The shape of the two buildings is very simple: a rounded box. The façade is constructed from five different sizes of hexagonal windows, a traditional element in Chinese architecture,it signifies the heritage value in Chinese culture. These windows flow across the building in an irregular, naturally occurring pattern: like cells multiplying. This pattern gives life to the building, changing the way it looks from different perspectives.

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Materials provided by MAD