Tall & Urban News

Construction has begun on a pyramid-shaped mixed-use building, Xinhu Hangzhou Prism, which forms the heart of Hangzhou’s Future Tech City in the new Technology Central Business District (CBD). The OMA-designed project is commissioned by Zhejiang Xinhu Haichuang Group.

Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province, is rapidly developing into an important tech-hub, home to some of China’s largest technology companies including Alibaba Group Holding and NetEase, and a burgeoning start-up scene. Hangzhou competes with Beijing and Shanghai to attract China’s new-economy workforce and young tech graduates.

The complex will house a hotel, retail space, lofts and an atrium garden. The 50,000-square-meter Prism is shaped by two radical oblique cuts through the building envelope, creating terraced lofts with generous scenic views. A large interior void creates a publicly accessible garden with water features and playgrounds.

A pinnacle reaching into the sky, the Prism pays homage to the ancient saying that there is “paradise above, and Hangzhou below.” The Prism is complemented by an adjacent 35,000 square meter residential tower, reflecting the geometry of a prism in its façade. It is expected to be completed in 2020.

Lead architect Chris van Duijn said, “Xinhu Hangzhou Prism will encourage the development of a creative community in the new CBD of Hangzhou. The design enables flexible programming and a broad repertoire of communal outdoor spaces, while maintaining a strong visual identity: striking in its form, archetypical yet contemporary.”

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