Architecture
Suzhou Zhongnan Center
A megatall tower on Jinji Lake — a tapering square form crowned by a glowing 'flying lantern'.
- Location
- Suzhou, China
- Project type
- Architecture
- Scale
- 729 m · 138 floors
- Role
- Senior Designer · Gensler
- Year
- 2013–14
The brief
At over 729 metres and 138 floors, the Suzhou Zhongnan Center was conceived as one of the tallest buildings in the world, anchoring the Central Business District beside Jinji Lake.
The design
The tower's form is based on simple geometry — a square footprint tapering toward the top — anchored to a high-end retail podium. The crown houses the tuned mass damper, conceived as a pearl nestling in mother-of-pearl and visible across the city.
Details
The podium is wrapped in translucent channel glass that glows from within: the 'flying lantern', connecting tower and base in a single luminous gesture.
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