Gently sloping facades give the South China headquarters of Minmetals, one of the world’s largest metal and mining companies, a distinctive profile in a new planned business development in Shenzhen’s Nanshan district.

Along with extensively landscaped public space and other amenities, the building’s iconic design affirms its status as the area’s gateway. Resembling wind-filled sails, the arcing north and south facades are balanced by mast-like silhouettes on the other two sides, while exterior lateral bracing recalls a framework of nautical ties and battens.

Four-story-high porches on the north and south lead to a generous public open space with a terraced landscape that incorporates water features and public art, integrating active uses on the ground floor and a retail pavilion on the floor below. The extensively developed landscape is part of a sustainable strategy that includes a high-efficiency exterior wall, operable windows, and internal shading devices.

The building is expected to achieve LEED Gold certification.

SITE: A key corner site in a newly developed business district in Shenzen, adjacent to recently extended transit lines

AREA:38,000 m2 / 409,000 ft2

COMPONENTS: Office tower with penthouse club facilities, training and fitness centers, data center, staff restaurant; publicly accessible retail pavilion with fine dining, fast food restaurant, and bank; car and bicycle parking

CLIENT: Minmetals Capital (Hong Kong) Ltd.

PCF&P SERVICES: Architecture; exterior envelope; interior design of public spaces

SUSTAINABILITY: Designed for LEED certification

AWARDS:

• American Architecture Award Chicago Athenaeum, 2019

• Office Building Honorable Mention International Design Awards, 2020

• International Architecture Award, Honorable Mention Chicago                  Athenaeum / European Centre, 2022

• Public Building Engineering Design Award Shenzhen Survey and              Design Industry Association, 2023