Foster + Partners reveals designs for China Merchants Bank HQ

UK-based architecture and integrated design studio Foster + Partners has unveiled designs for China Merchants Bank’s new global headquarters in Shenzhen.

The company has secured the contract to design and engineer a 350m office tower as the bank’s headquarters. The proposed tower will accommodate the bank’s 13,000 staff.

The design also includes a 180m-high luxury hotel and office mixed-use tower, cultural and retail amenities.

Foster + Partners partner Young Wei-Yang Chiu said: “The tower forms part of a new complex that connects with the next phase of the Shenzhen Bay development, featuring a well-connected urban square linked with the metro, retail, cultural spaces and Shenzhen Bay’s amazing waterfront.”

The 310,000m² office tower will incorporate large-span column-free floorplates supported by offset cores on either side in order to maximise flexibility in planning the office spaces.

Foster + Partners stated that the main building will feature a glazed façade that has been designed to avoid downdrafts and ensure pedestrians visiting the open spaces on the ground floor feel more comfortable.

Lined with shops and restaurants, a green plaza has also been designed to connect the two towers to the Shenzhen Bay waterfront. The north side of the building will provide a direct link to the metro.

A gallery area for art and sports facilities will be created at the podium level of the complex.

Foster + Partners Studio head Grant Brooker said: “The tower’s design represents a significant step in the evolution of the workplace, which we have evolved in close partnership with the client to create a highly flexible floorplate that can be adjusted to their fast-changing needs and provide an excellent working environment for their staff.”

The top of the building will feature a quadruple height atrium, comprising a gallery and event space, executive meeting and dining areas against the backdrop of the Shenzhen Bay.