Zaha Hadid Architects’ upcoming Shenzhen Institute of Financial Technology Tower is taking shape. Construction work on the 46-story structure’s sculptural façade has begun.

Located on a narrow site in the center of Shenzhen’s Futian district, the tower aims to accommodate the Institute’s ongoing expansion to serve China’s growing fintech industry.

The roughly 818,000-square-foot building will house research and development laboratories, technology exchange, data centers, and a training campus, together with management, support, and administrative departments.

The tower’s composition is defined by its surrounding urban environment. Its volume features set-backs, which were determined by mapping and modeling the annual paths of sunlight across the site. The set-backs optimize the amount of direct sunlight that reaches the surrounding streets, public plazas, and buildings. In addition, the tower’s envelope is set to incorporate high performance thermal insulation with external fins that provide self-shading.

These distortions in the tower’s volume is reflected in the varying degrees of transparency and color across the façade, which is composed of vertical and angled glazing mullions crafted in black and bronze colors.

Inside, a series of atria will connect floors to promote interaction and collaboration. Foliage within these atria will function to filter aim contaminants. There will also be a rooftop garden, which will provide a variety of sheltered spaces for events, exhibitions, gatherings, and relaxation.

An AI-powered smart building system will learn to predict the tower’s user patterns and occupancy levels throughout the day. It will incorporate hybrid natural ventilation and will routinely adjust the building’s services for optimal comfort with the most energy efficiency.

The structure's carbon footprint is further reduces through the use of recycled steel and aggregates sourced from local suppliers.