Qingdao Qianhao International Square, Qingdao, China

Solomon Cordwell Buenz design sophisticated office block
This project was an entry in a competition sponsored by the city of Qingdao. The office tower is created as a monumental piece of high-tech sculpture. It incorporates state-of-the-art technology not only in its internal mechanical, electrical, and communication systems; it celebrates sophisticated technology in the design and detailing of the exterior wall systems.

Thirty six floors provide 76,000 square meters of gross office area. The planning of the office floors are fundamental to a flexible, efficient business environment.

The “Climatized Wall” at the west side of the tower is comprised of two separate layers of glass separated by a two meter deep “air curtain”. This layer of air controls the interior environment, and can be manipulated in response to outside temperature conditions by two means: a) the flow of air through this space is controlled by the amount by which adjustable windows are deployed at the bottom and the top of each three-story zone; and b) the amount of solar energy absorbed by the building is controlled by adjustable louvers within this two meter space. Both the operable windows and the adjustable louver systems are controlled by the central computer-operated building management system, which balances the indoor temperature, internal humidity levels, and solar penetration.

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