In Xi’an, one of China’s largest inland cities, Daxia Group has announced that Zaha Hadid Architects will proceed with the new Daxia Tower in the city’s thriving development zone.
Initial renderings revealed by the architects present a tower with a gently curving silhouette, accentuated by layers of patterned glazing and dramatic atriums that bring light deep into the floorplates. A cascade of planted interior terraces recalls mountainside waterfalls, with each atrium oriented to take advantage of a panoramic view of the historic north and east of the city or the high-tech zone to the south and west.
Once the country’s ancient capital and a historic eastern gateway to the Silk Road, modern Xi’an has developed a booming technology ecosystem attracting many domestic and international corporations. The tower site is located southeast of the city in the heart of Xi’an’s ‘High-Tech Economic and Technological Development,’ home to more than one-hundred Fortune 500 companies alone. The tower joins a cluster of high-rise buildings, including corporate headquarters, commercial offices, international hotels, and residential developments.
On the 16,700 square meter site, the 210-meter-high Daxia Tower will include 127,2000 square meters of offices, retail, and ancillary facilities. Supported by data analytics and behaviour modelling, the tower’s interiors include future-proofed, adaptable workplaces backed by real-time analytics for healthy and enjoyable environments to enhance employees’ individual and overall well-being.
Zaha Hadid Architects state that the tower will target LEED Gold certification with strategies such as optimizing natural daylight and ventilation using high-performance and low-emissivity, unitized glazing with a thermal coating and insulation for low u-values. Further, the tower’s responsive façade with integrated sensors will include photovoltaics to enable renewable energy generation to power various systems within the building. The large atriums will provide natural ventilation and allow fresh air to circulate throughout the building, while the many planted terraces help purify the air and reduce indoor pollutants.
Additional green components include a rainwater harvesting system to collect and store rainwater as a supplementary source for non-potable water and a smart management system that continuously monitors and optimizes energy consumption and environmental performance. Sensors and automation located throughout the towers will recognize patterns in occupancy and adjust interior conditions accordingly. The systems can also adapt to weather conditions, thus ensuring optimal occupant comfort.
Finally, the architects have announced that the tower’s procurement and construction will use materials locally produced in the city of Xi’an and the surrounding Shaanxi province.
