Guangzhou, China
The Guangzhou Chow Tai Fook Centre is the “east” tower of a pair of supertalls that dominate the master-planned central city expansion in Guangzhou, the capital city of Guangdong with a population of 11.5 million. The 112-story CTF tower is the centerpiece of 5.4 million ft² mixed-use urban complex that connects to public transit below grade and to nearby buildings through a network of elevated pedestrian bridges and shops.
The tower is sculpted at four major transition points: as it rises, it changes the function from offices, to apartments, to hotel rooms. The exterior is encased in a white glazed terra cotta, a traditional Chinese material. Shaded from the sun by the terra cotta, the vision glass becomes more transparent. The light terra cotta is enhanced by a dark reveal that hides an operable window; on the other side of the reveal is a vertical fin of stainless steel.