Designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), the new headquarters building for Chinese electronics company OPPO will highlight energy-saving design and green landscaping. The company is currently one of the country’s largest smartphone manufacturers and has its sights set on an overarching vision of sustainability within the industry.
Known as O-Tower, the HQ will be located in Hangzhou’s Future Sci-Tech City, a complex for global technology entrepreneurship in the capital of China’s Zhejiang province. Its location is highlighted by unique surroundings that include a natural lake, a 10,000-square-meter park as well as a vibrant urban center within the Future Sci-Tech City. The property has embraced its history as an area of wetlands by choosing to incorporate lush landscaping within the building’s inner courtyard to mimic that of the surroundings.
From both a front-facing and an aerial view, it’s easy to see how the building gets its name; the distinctive O-shaped facade characterizes the structure and is bound to make it a defining landmark of the city. A cylindrical courtyard continues the theme, containing a verdant landscape and seating areas to encourage social interactions among employees or visitors while providing views of the city’s skyline and fresh air.
“The central oasis and the surrounding wetland park expands the public realm into the heart of the complex,” said Bjarke Ingels, founder and creative director of BIG. “Each element is intrinsically intertwined forming the melted loop that is perceivable at all scales — from the urban landmark to the human experience — becoming a manifestation of the design simplicity that is an intrinsic part of OPPO’s brand.”
According to the designers, the adaptive facade is oriented according to the sun’s angles, helping to reduce the building’s solar gain by up to 52%, save on energy demand for cooling loads and create a more comfortable thermal environment for staff.
This O-shaped tower will reduce solar gain by 52% [Inhabitat]