Urban Systems Office's Bundle Tower Reimagines the Bank of China

Written by Holly Giermann

London-based design group Urban Systems Office has developed a work-flow system employed in their 180-meter "Bundle Tower" to redefine the office typology of the Bank of China. Informed by its specific site features, the mixed-use Bundle Tower creates an open floor plan that responds precisely to its surrounding conditions and unique site requirements.

Urban Systems Office's Bundle Tower Reimagines the Bank of China - Cityscape, Windows — Birdseye view of the bundle tower, with openings aligned to local access point and views. Image Courtesy of Urban Systems Office

Deriving its versatility from a series of bundled structural tubes, the Bundle Tower is generated based on maintaining site access lines, framing views, and facilitating the infiltration of sunlight. To achieve these goals, the bundles differ in size and are arranged irregularly at particular heights throughout the building. This approach lends to viewing and lighting qualities specific to each floor's unique programming, and opens the floor plans for a broader range of interactions. The upper-most floors feature atrium spaces to celebrate these qualities through maximized daylight and views.

Urban Systems Office's Bundle Tower Reimagines the Bank of China - Image 12 of 12 — The sizes and spacing of the bundles varies throughout the height of the tower, creating a range of office layout opportunities and visual connections within the site. Image Courtesy of Urban Systems Office

Due to the bundles' unique arrangement, the resultant floor plans range in layout from traditional to modern work-spaces with numerous options for furniture placement. The versatility of the space is further exploited through the employment of three small elevator cores in place of the typical centralized core. By displacing this function, each floor enjoys an open space at its center to encourage communication and increase programmatic flexibility.

Urban Systems Office's Bundle Tower Reimagines the Bank of China - Image 3 of 12 — Atriums at the highest levels add unique spaces and views to the high-end office floors. Image Courtesy of Urban Systems Office

Programmatically, the Bundle Tower is as diverse as its floors. Housing a branch of the Bank of China, offices, and a conference center, the tower serves as a business hub. It also features a number of public amenities including retail space, a cinema, market, and restaurant to further diversify the building's use.

The Bundle Tower is due for construction by mid-2016.

Architects
Urban Systems Office
Location
Changyuan, Henan Province
Design Lead
Brendon Carlin and Jeroen van Ameijde
Design Team
James Kwang-Ho Chung, Fernando Ruiz Barberán, Felipe Ignacio Sepulveda Rojas, Pamela Cortez, Kai Yang, and Miguel Reyna
Area
114000.0 sqm
Project Year
2016
Photographs
Courtesy of Urban Systems Office
Location
Changyuan, Henan Province
Project Year
2016
Photographs
Courtesy of Urban Systems Office
Area
114000.0 m2