Project Description
The Leatop Plaza development represents a key project for the completion of the “Gateway” at the North End of the central city axis of Zhujiang New Town.
The prominent location calls for an Emblematic Tower. The result is a simple, bold, clear and elegant shape, with a crisp geometry crowned by a sharp sloped roof top. Its glass layers create a sculpture, like a cut block of ice.
The buildings strong presence derives from the simplicity of its form, the clarity of its structural systems and the expressive values of the twin shell façade; transparent, translucent, opaque, reflective and luminous. The layered screen dematerializes and thus renders the building in a variety of intriguing ways. Its character derives not from a formal and stylistic pursuit but as a result of its material and functional aspects.
The Leatop Plaza Tower is light, transparent and energy efficient. It maximizes views and strengthens the urban connections and relationships of this challenging context. With very subtle moves, the tower defies the conventional way we look at tall buildings.
The building is placed on the site parallel to the East entrance at the central axis of Zhujiang New Town. Respecting all the setback requirements the main pedestrian access occurs at the West side of the Towers base.
The facade is developed in relation to both, the structural diagram and the energy strategies, as a tightly constructed twin shell made of vertical glass shingles. They reflect solar heat gain and reduce heat transmission by the fritting of its surface and through the ventilated cavity between the inner and outer layers. Horizontal blinds shield the interior environment from direct solar load and control brightness.
The inner facade of the building is glazed with floor to floor insulated glass with a low-E coating. The concept is to keep solar energy out of the building while at the same time maximize the comfort.
The tower resembles in form an ice crystal. The pavement and grass sculptures are a reminder of icebergs and form a transition from the building and an artificial nature. The most important mountains of China are gathered, as floating miniature glass sculptures, over the water garden.