The global architecture firm Aedes conceived a new mixed-use skyscraper in an urban area of China. A city home that could allow residents to live, work, relax and shop, all without ever leaving the building.
Designed to help revitalize the Ba Gua Ling industrial zone in the heart of Shenzhen, the 55-storey building features a commercial hub on the first levels, with two towers rising upwards before splitting into four to form a park-like setting terraced. Shirble - The Prime (from the name of the Chinese department store that would be housed below), it would have one of the towers intended for offices and the other three for residential apartments.
Urbanism in supersonic transformation
Ba Gua Ling district in Shenzhen used to be a center for the printing industry, but has been experiencing a high rate of urban decay for years. Shirble – The Prime aims to redevelop the area. With its height (about 250 metres), the complex overlooks the city just like the figure it is inspired by: that of the protective eagle who watches over everything from the top of the world.
The new complex has been designed in relation to the surrounding landscapes and transport systems, taking into account both cross-ventilation and the maximization of internal views. Housing options at Shirble – The Prime include units of various sizes, from large apartments to small lofts, while a “sky park” (about 150 meters in the air) offers outdoor space for walks and hangouts. Also on that level there will be a gym, clubhouse, garden terrace and other recreational amenities. Residents, employees and customers will find spaces to socialize in the commercial area, characterized by both outdoor and indoor spaces.
Shirble – The Prime: skyscraper-city
The architectural details of Shirble – The Prime are geometric, offset by the more organic shape of the retail pavilion and sky park levels. The rounded rectangular balconies of the residential towers are decorated with silver-white aluminum finishes. Their appearance contrasts nicely with the asymmetrical and fluid lines of the pavilion and the park topped by trees.
Green also adorns many other levels. The connection to the natural world creates a little extra oxygen for residents and employees. For its innovative design that brings together so many aspects of life under one roof, Aedes won the 2020 International Property Award for Best International High-Rise Residential Architecture.