Guanghualu SOHO, Beijing, China

Mixed office and shopping building is nearing completion
Designed by Danish architect Søren Korsgaard and Chinese architect Qingyun Ma from MADA S.P.A.M., the Guanghualu SOHO project is nearing completion.

Guanghualu SOHO is located at the center of Beijing’s CBD. It sits on the southern side of Guanghualu Road, a mere 100 meters east of Dongdaqiao Road, and close to the First Embassy District.

Its gross floor area is 750,000 square meters, with a retail area of 380,000 square meters and an office are of 20,000 square meters. It consists of 158 shops between the basement and the fourth floor and these share an atrium. It boasts almost 600 parking lots. Guanhualu SOHO is composed of four 60-meter-high towers.

It is designed to link the outside with the inside. Pedestrians can easily walk into its shops. People who work or shop at Guanhuala SOHO can look out from 60% of its space.

The four 60-meter-high towers have what architect Ma terms ‘bright lungs’. Differing from many office buildings that have their elevators and hallways in the center, Guanghualu SOHO has its elevators and hallways next to the glass facades. The ‘dots’ on the facades and the ‘bright lungs’ bring sunlight directly into the building.
source : www.worldarchitecturenews.com
architecture NOW