The construction of a new 150,000m2, 320m tall tower is underway in Guangzhou, China under the leadership of Mexican architect Francisco Gonzalez-Pulido: FGP Atelier. The project, titled the Guangzhou International Cultural Center (GICC), takes a holistic approach to design, combining architectural, engineering, environmental, functional, and technological principles to create a landmark for the ages.
The project builds on FGP Atelier’s legacy of designing vanguard office spaces focused on facilitating and maximizing human interaction. For the Guangzhou International Cultural Center, this will be achieved through a "tower campus,” made up of a plaza, an underground gallery connecting to the metro station, a lobby, a multi-story book store, a sky lobby, and a sky club.
FGP Atelier explains that the “the tower’s layout is inspired by the idea that knowledge sharing is an essential element to creating culture and culture is a path to understanding each other and through it we are better able to ascend the barriers between us and grow as human beings.” The building’s design creates a dynamic tension between the rectangular base and it’s culmination into a peak, and in between there are a series of terraces that offer city views. All of these terraces have screens to protect from wind and rain. This design touch was added to give the building a sense of cohesion on a grand scale.
The concept is driven by open urban spaces, physical and spiritual connectivity, simplicity in the organization of functions, and clarity with the use of materials and systems, as well as in the effective use of space and resources. GICC is ultimately built on the concept of knowledge-sharing and nowhere is this more visible than in the bookstore that displays the works of the client it houses. For Guangzhou, the building and its contents make for a vibrant, cultural destination within the city.
- FGP Atelier
Technical details.
Project Name: Guangzhou International Cultural Center
Architectural Firm : FGP Atelier
Website: www.fgp-atelier.com
E-mail address: wthisted@fgp-atelier.com
Project location: Guangzhou, China
Date of completion: 2021
Client: Southern Publishing and Media Company
Rough Construction Measurements (square meters or square feet): 150,000 SQM; 320m high
Principal architects: Francisco González Pulido
Associates: Register Architect: Guangzhou Design Institute; Structural Engineer: RBS Architectural Engineering Design Associates; Urban Planner: South China University of Technology ; Surface Engineers: RFR; VERTICAL TRANSPORT: Lerch Bates; LIGHTING: MICK; MEP DESIGN ENGINEERING : WSP; LANDSCAPING ARCHITECT: LDI
