The 280 m high twin towers have a flowing pattern.

Chinese architecture firm EID Arch is taking on the Shimao Riverfront Wisdom Towers project in Hangzhou’s Xinjiang District. The project focuses on creating open spaces and urban connectivity, while also creating a landmark for the city, Design Boom reported on May 17. The complex will provide 370,000 square meters of new office, residential and retail space, with twin towers standing at around 280 meters tall.

Towers A and B occupy the central position in the project, providing offices and residential units. A three-storey annex provides retail space and community support. The horizontally undulating facade of the annex mimics the shape of the nearby Qiantang River, providing a pedestrian-friendly feel.

Unlike other high-density commercial complexes, the new project optimizes public open space. The Qiantang River, famous for its fierce tidal waves, inspired the flowing motifs on the facades of the towers.

The twin towers are clad in glass walls and vertical aluminum fins. The vertical elements follow a hierarchy of size and shape, emphasizing the concept of rising tides as the towers’ surfaces protrude and recede. In addition, the aluminum fins and high-quality glass also help reduce glare and solar heat gain.

The Wisdom Twin Towers use a hybrid structural system with support frames connected to large columns and cross bracing, optimizing the structure for maximum efficiency and a slim profile. EID Arch also collaborated with New York-based structural engineering firm LERA to help the twin towers achieve LEED Gold certification, a certification granted by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for environmentally friendly buildings.

"In contrast to the city's powerfully shaped high-rise buildings, the new project stands out with its simple, gentle beauty. In a high-density urban environment, iconic buildings should not only represent novelty and luxury. Different from the popular trend towards height and spectacularity in skyscraper design in China, the Wisdom Twin Towers quietly stand on the banks of the Qiantang River with elegance and simplicity, in line with the cultural characteristics of the city," said EID Arch.

Thu Thao (According to Design Boom )