Poly International Plaza / SOM

Architects: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Location: Bao Li Guo Ji Guang Chang (Hong Tai Dong Jie), WangJing, Chaoyang Qu, Beijing Shi, China, 100096
Design Partner: Leo Chow, AIA
Consulting Partner: Gene Schnair, FAIA
Technical Partner: Keith Boswell, FAIA
Project Managing Director: Larry Chien, AIA
Area: 116000.0 m2
Project Year: 2016
Photographs: Bruce Damonte

Associate Design Director: Angela Wu, AIA
Technical Coordinator: Brian Cook, AIA
Technical Design: Francesca Oliveira, AIA
Design Architect: Christopher Talbott, AIA
Project Coordinator: Stephanie Chang, Josephine Pai
Digital Design Coordinator: Jeffrey Bajamundi
Architect Of Record: Beijing Institute of Architectureal Design (BIAD)
Structural Engineering Partner: Mark Sarkisian, PE, SE, LEED ®
Senior Structural Engineering Associate Director: Neville Mathias, PE, SE, LEED AP
Structural Engineering Associate Director: Rupa Garai, PE, SE, LEED AP
Structural Engineer: Andrew Krebs, PE, SE, LEED ®; Zhaofan Li, PE; Joanna Zhang, PE, SE, LEED AP; Jeffrey Keileh, PE, SE, LEED AP; Christopher Horiuchi, PE;
Technical: Danny Bently, Feliciano Racines
Mep Consultants: WSP (WSP Engineering Services)
Landscape Consultants: SWA Group
Lighting Consultants: Francis Krahe & Associates Inc.
Green Building Design Consultants: Built Ecology
Vertical Transportation Consultants: Edgett Williams Consulting Group
General Contractor: China Construction Third Engineering Bureau Company Limited

From the architect. Located midway between the Forbidden City and Beijing Capital Airport, Poly International Plaza occupies a prominent position in a new business district adjacent to the Capital Airport Expressway.

The project site comprises a main tower and two smaller supporting towers. The elliptical footprint of the three towers frees the buildings from the rigid geometry of the adjoining urban fabric, allowing the landscape of surrounding parks to continue seamlessly through the project site.The landscaping covers garage ramps and egress stairs, minimizing their visual impact while creating a tranquil, undulating topography with pedestrian paths.

Inspired by Chinese paper lanterns, the design of the main tower’s exterior is formed by a continuous diagrid pattern, with a jewel-like faceting that shimmers as it reflects the sky.

The exoskeleton structural system forms an outer thermal envelope around the office spaces, which are enclosed within a second glazed interior envelope. This creates day-lit communal areas that accommodate meetings and foster social interaction, while establishing physical and visual connections between floors.

The long-span structural design not only opens up the interior, creating a column-free work environment, but also employs a highly sustainable architectural/mechanical approach to address the climatic and air quality challenges particular to Beijing.