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Architects: HPP Architects
- Area: 41900 m²
- Year: 2021
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Photographs:Yong Zhang
Text description provided by the architects. Shanghai SVW Technical Center designed by HPP is officially open in August, pioneering the development of Anting International Automobile City in Jiading New Town into a global automobile manufacturing area. In 2018, HPP won the competition to design SVW Technical Center, one of the most significant projects in Anting International Automobile City. To match the image of SVW as one of the leading automobile companies in China, HPP uses the design concept of “Enterprise Gate” for SVW Technical Center. The architecture is comprised of two towers, connecting each other at the top and sitting on the south and north sides respectively. One side of each tower is rotated to maximize the view, embodying a sense of uniqueness to the shape of this office building.
The 12-floor office building rises to 60 meters with a total construction area of 41,900 square meters. The grand stairs on the east and west sides directly lead to the main entrance on the 2nd floor. The building integrates office, leisure, canteen, creative center, and other functions, where the canteen on the 1st floor has an independent entrance and the office area is set from 2nd floor to 11th floor. The top floor is VR Automobile Exhibition Room and Creative Center, overlooking the entire campus.
The sides facing factories and rivers are more open, echoing landscapes nearby. The cable-net glass facade reveals a clear reflection on the water surface; the still architecture integrates into the surroundings with a gentle and delicate look.
In the initial project plan, the space between the two towers is outdoor space, linked by four sky bridges, set on the 4th, 6th, 8th and 10th floor. It ensures smooth communications among different departments. To cater to the client’s request for changing the outdoor space between the two towers into an enclosed space, two huge cable-net glass facades are added, forming a 9-floor high-rise atrium. After entering the building, the high-rise atrium brings a refreshing space experience to the visitors with a sense of formalness.
The cable-net glass facade of the high-rise atrium space is supported by an orthogonal system, which consists of main horizontal cables and supplementary vertical cables. Super white double laminated armored glass with a size of 1.500 x 1.125M is embedded into the system, shielding the building from rainwater and sunlight. Being environmentally friendly and economically efficient, it can adjust the indoor temperature and reduce energy consumption. Moreover, the cable-net glass facade system is also lighter and more graceful than steel-supported glass facades. A higher technical standard is also required to ensure the safety level of the architecture.
HPP also meticulously designs the metal drainage system on the glass facade, which differs from the decentralized traditional system by draining off the water outwards. Instead, rainwater is collected by an oblique plane inwards and drained to the ground through downpipes on both sides of windowsills. It minimizes the rainwater stains on the glass and ensures the brilliancy and cleanliness of the facades.
Designed from users’ perspectives, the internal spaces have free spatial compositions, multi-function combinations, and natural colorations. The office building is divided into Concentration Area and Research Area. Based on the characteristics of different areas, a tea room and a creative space are added to respective spaces, enhancing the domestic comforts of the office environment. Moreover, the color system used in the office area is light grey and brown with a sense of calmness. In the flexible working area, however, bright colors such as orange, green, and blue are used to enrich the space, providing a lively spatial experience.
HPP creates “Enterprise Gate” for SVW, which not only embodies the leading position of SVW in the Chinese automobile market but also promotes the development of Anting International Automobile City and the industrial upgrading of SVW automobile chains in the future.
