Architectural firm Smith and Gill has begun construction of a 468-metre-high crystalline skyscraper in Chengdu, China. The Greenland Tower Chengdu was designed by Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill and is set to become the tallest building in southwestern China.
According to the architects, the faceted-glass form of the office and hotel tower was “inspired by the unique ice mountain topography around Chengdu.”
At night, inset LED lighting will highlight the edges designed to create the impression of a shimmering glacier. “Like the mountain ridges reflecting the light of the sky and the valleys reflecting light from the earth, the iconic tower will perform as a light sculpture to diffuse light from 360 degrees, creating a connection between sky and earth,” said the architectural firm in a statement.
It is to be completed in 2018. The 100-storey-high skyscraper will surpass the city’s current tallest buildings, the Chengdu IFS Towers, by over 200 metres.
It is located in the center of Chengdu’s booming Dongcun district, the design was inspired by the unique ice mountain topography around Chengdu, which symbolizes the city’s growth and promising future. Like the mountain ridges reflecting the light of the sky and the valleys reflecting light from the earth, the iconic tower will perform as a light sculpture to diffuse light from 360 degrees, creating a connection between sky and earth.
The complex will have the main tower, two small towers and six-story podium, with a total building area of 395,305 square meters.
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