2017 Galleries

Galleries // 2017 Spark:Space // Poly International Plaza

Poly International Plaza

Winner - Gold

Competition: Spark:Space
Designer: Leo Chow, AIA & SOM Design Team - Design Parter
Design Type: Spaces – Architecture, Commercial + Office
Company / Organization / School: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP
Website: http://som.com
Team Members: Gene Schnair, FAIA, Consulting Partner Keith Boswell, FAIA, Technical Partner Larry Chien, AIA, Project Managing Director Angela Wu, AIA, Associate Design Director Brian Cook, AIA, Technical Coordinator Francesca Oliveira, AIA, Technical Design Christopher Talbott, AIA, Design Architect Stephanie Chang, Project Coordinator Josephine Pai, Project Coordinator Jeffrey Bajamundi, Digital Design Coordinator Architect of record: Beijing Institute of Architectureal Design (BIAD) Engineers Structural: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill Mark Sarkisian, PE, SE, LEED®, Structural Engineering Partner Neville Mathias, PE, SE, LEED AP, Senior Structural Engineering Associate Director Rupa Garai, PE, SE, LEED AP, Structural Engineering Associate Director Andrew Krebs, PE, SE, LEED®, Structural Engineer Zhaofan Li, PE, Structural Engineer Joanna Zhang, PE, SE, LEED AP, Structural Engineer Jeffrey Keileh, PE, SE, LEED AP, Structural Engineer Christopher Horiuchi, PE, Structural Engineer Danny Bently, Technical Feliciano Racines, Technical Consultants MEP: WSP (WSP Engineering Services) Landscape: SWA Group Lighting: Francis Krahe & Associates Inc. Green Building Design: Built Ecology Vertical Transportation: Edgett Williams Consulting Group General Contractor: China Construction Third Engineering Bureau Company Limited

The iconic Poly International Plaza in Beijing was inspired by elliptically-shaped Chinese paper lanterns, and is the first structure of its kind: incorporating a four-story super-diagrid frame module without perimeter columns, in response to the region’s high seismicity. A 116,000-square-meter complex of three office buildings, the project offers a spacious and light-filled work environment with visual connectivity, greater thermal performance, and communal spaces. At the narrow ends of the building, 29-story atria pull in daylight, harness expansive views, and create opportunities for social interaction and connectivity through communal lounges, meeting rooms, and open stairs. The long-span structural design opens up the interior spaces and employs a highly sustainable approach to addressing climatic and air quality issues, via ventilation slots in the façade. The diagrid structure creates column-free interiors with flexible, open-plan office space; in contrast to typical Chinese office lease space. The elliptical geometry of the tower frees the site’s landscape from the rigid geometry of the adjoining urban fabric. Prominently visible from the adjacent expressway, Poly International Plaza is the landmark of a new business district that defies the status quo, creating vibrant urban landscaped open spaces and tying together a diverse collection of residential and commercial buildings.