Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF) completes China Resources Headquarters, a 400-meter tall commercial office tower located in the Houhai District of Shenzhen.

China Resources HQ

The building anchors retail, residential, and office amenities – with 2,000 sqm of public space and the city's greenbelt and waterfront. As a whole, the tower and complex invigorate Shenzhen's urban fabric while providing one of the country's premier companies with a visual icon symbolizing its historic growth and prominent stature. The building's opening was celebrated by representatives from KPF and China Resources, which also celebrated its 80th anniversary.

"It was an honor to work on this headquarters tower with China Resources, one of the nation's oldest and most important companies," said KPF President James von Klemperer. "The conical tower design shows a geometric boldness that reflects China Resources' pride in their past and confidence in the future. By marking the skyline, it will be one of the most recognizable buildings of Shenzhen, China's leading technology city."

China Resources HQ

Inspired by the shape of the winter bamboo shoot, the building features a light yet stable tube and diagrid structural system, expressed in its tapered, sculptural form. Rendered in pre-fabricated column and steel units, the system affords column-free interiors, in turn, allowing greater expression of the tower's radial symmetry and more boutique floorplates as it rises.

The 56 vertical columns converge into 28 columns at the lower and upper sections of the tower, forming a series of entry portals at the tower's base and merging to a singular point at its peak. At these junctures, faceted, triangular glass panels illuminate at night with a jewel-like brilliance across Shenzhen's waterfront business district. The "sky hall" at the top of the tower is a conical, cathedral-like space offering visitors stunning views of the diagrid spire – it is one the few high-rises in the world that is occupiable at its absolute highest point.

KPF's extensive portfolio spans more than 40 countries and includes a wide range of projects from office and residential buildings to civic and cultural spaces to educational facilities.