Milan-based RRC Studio's latest undertaking, the Xiang River Tower, will be an office and residential project in Changsha, a city under heavy development in China. Located near the Xiang river in a prime area of the city’s downtown, the tower will dominate the city's horizon and bear a strong presence on the skyline.
Read on for the architects' description...
The concept for the Xiang River Tower stemmed from the idea of Chinese boxes contained in a single bigger box - each box, stacked on top of another, containing several programs. Luxury residences occupy the upper half of the tower while a hotel is located below, followed by premium office spaces that occupy the tower's lower portion.
On the top levels, amenity floors joining the three programs include recreation rooms and a spa. Additional amenities are on the landscaped roof of the tower and include a pool, pavilion and a belvedere.
At the base, different types of leisure spaces create an extension of the square and of the public parks that surround the tower. The large entrance hall serves as a point of distribution of the entire tower and creates a meeting place for different types of users.
The Xiang River Tower incorporates sustainable building practices into its design through advanced building systems, a double skin and natural ventilation. Due to its considerable height, it has a natural temperature gradient and a higher wind speed that both reduce the need for artificial cooling. This strategy is reminiscent of a wind tower and is a sustainable way to cut down on the building's energy consumption.
