Construction has begun on the 154,700-sq-m Chengdu Jiaozi Courtyard Towers, occupying the last empty site of the city’s Jiaozi Park Financial and Business District.
Comprising three office towers measuring 80m, 100m, and 130m in height, and a conference centre located on top of a ring-shaped plinth, the project is close to the district’s main building complex, the Tianfu International Finance Centre.
Designed by Dutch architect MVRDV, the conference centre features a cantilever and façade inspired by traditional bamboo-weaving. A retail village with cafés, bars and restaurants will mimic the traditional one- and two-storey structures once located on the plot.
The rectangular towers are arranged in a square-like formation, contrasting to the ring-shaped connecting plinth that holds the conference centre.
3,600 sq m of photovoltaic panels will be located on the three tower’s exterior.
The project is aiming for LEED-Gold certification and a three-star rating in the Chinese “three-star” sustainability system.
Jacob van Rijs, MVRDV founding partner, said: “We were given an opportunity that is rare in China: a design project that adds the final puzzle piece to a new district. It is hard to imagine that this entire district was still rural 20 years ago.
“We entered this competition during the pandemic and discovered the village via Google Earth. With that in mind, we decided to create a historic world within. Seeing this while surrounded by three new towers, you become aware of the rapid transition that this place has gone through.”
