A Sustainable Marvel of Glass and Steel
Rising high in Tianjin, a northeastern port city of China, the shiny-new Tianjin Finance Centre stands as a testament to the nation’s ambitions for future business prosperity. The Chicago-based architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM) specializes in high-performance glass buildings and has been selected for numerous projects to create iconic structures that enhance their surroundings and improve building efficiency. All façade glass for this skyscraper was supplied by CSG Holding, the largest architectural glass manufacturer in China.
Perfect Integration of Architecture and Engineering
The Tianjin Finance Centre is the latest testament to SOM’s dedication to excellence, innovation, and sustainability. According to SOM Consulting Design Partner Brian Lee, the result perfectly matches the vision. The centre showcases a highly original concept for tall buildings, achieved through the seamless integration of architecture and engineering, optimizing both structural form and building enclosure to create efficient and desirable interior spaces.
“The worst thing is when cities look identical because buildings are mere copies of each other. Our goal is to create a unique, memorable form for each of our buildings, making them functional and efficient,” emphasizes Brian Lee.
SOM held a workshop with the client to understand his vision for the building. The team presented various models to see which design resonated most.
“Each shape represented buildings that we knew would work efficiently. In the end, one model, a more lyrical and evocative form, caught the client’s eye. Extensive research showed that it had a strong chance of becoming a high-performing tall building,” Lee explained.
The building also needed to fit well within its surroundings in the Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area (TEDA), one of China’s first national economic development zones, approved in 1984. TEDA is located 50 kilometers east of the bustling Tianjin port city and just 30 minutes by high-speed train from Beijing.
A Three-Part Structure
The building’s design is divided into three distinct sections: office, residential, and hotel. Each space needed to be world-class in quality, with functional floor plans and efficient cores, offering a strong connection to the outdoors.
“These sectional requirements helped shape the building. The client, an experienced builder, wanted something innovative and iconic yet highly efficient,” describes Lee.
Efficiency in Every Detail
Back in the studio, the SOM team worked efficiently, combining a tapering shape with a visually soft aerodynamic quality. This resulted in a perfect fit for the building's program. A hybrid core-in-core structure with a sloped perimeter column system was used to reinforce the building against earthquakes and high wind loads.
“We knew a tapering tower performs well in wind,” says Lee. “Rounding off the tower’s corners further reduces wind resistance.”
The team continued refining the design, creating a porous top and using concave surfaces. Each element was developed to optimize structural performance. A moment frame with added braces formed a curving frame, enhancing the building's performance.
“So, we had this beautiful, fluid lyrical shape, but we needed to consider the enclosure,” explains Lee.
Extraordinary Glass Curtain Saves Costs, Enhances Performance
The building's unconventional shape required a unique glass curtain. The idea was to use staggered glass panels and aluminum mullions to create an elegant, skin-like texture that catches the eye and glistens in the sun.
The team mapped the surface parametrically, then adjusted it to reduce the number of unique glass panels needed, despite using readily available glass panel sizes. “Initially, we had over 1,000 unique panels, but reduced this to around 476 for greater efficiency and ease of replacement,” adds Lee.
SOM presented two schemes to the client – cold-bent glass and offset flat glass panels. They chose the less risky flat glass scheme. Despite adding complexity to the design, Lee’s team accommodated this by adding an aluminum makeup piece to the mullion system and metal frames. This created a spectacular effect, making the building look almost sheathed in metal due to the staggered panels on the concave and convex surfaces catching the light.
Quality Glass from China’s Top Supplier
The façade glass for this masterpiece was produced by China-based CSG Holding, renowned in both national and international markets for producing energy-saving glass.
Building with Environmental Impact
Despite the curved form increasing the glass curtain cost, the structural efficiency benefits saved millions in steel and concrete, significantly reducing the building’s environmental impact.
“A key to our success with this building was its sustainable design concept. We used high-performance, low-E double glazing with an insulated panel between each glass, cutting heating and air-conditioning costs,” says Lee.
“Glass is highly desirable in any building type because it provides incredible views and natural light, which are beneficial for well-being. When you mitigate glare and heat loss or gain, depending on the climate, you can save on energy costs,” he continues.
Glass technology constantly seeks new ways to improve building performance. For example, triple glazing is effective in cold climates. A building with a nearly 90% glass curtain wall can use solar gain to produce heat in heating-dominated climates and achieve high insulation levels.
“With ongoing advancements in glass technology, we’ll see more use of vacuum insulation, triple glazing, and new curved glazing concepts to optimize glass structurally. Thin glasses might also be used more in multi-layer assemblies,” he predicts.
The Tianjin Finance Centre is not only an innovative masterpiece but also a strong statement that skyscrapers can indeed align with sustainable construction trends.
Comments