sep 11  | Perspective

High up in the wind

Situated close to the meeting of the Yangtze and Han rivers, Wuhan Greenland Centre, the brainchild of Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture and Shanghai-based developer Greenland Group, is scheduled to be completed in about five years.

At 606 m, the high-rise — China’s third tallest and the world’s fourth tallest — features a uniquely streamlined envelope with a tapered body, rounded corners and a domed top, an innovative solution designed to reduce the wind resistance and vortex action faced by supertall skyscrapers. The apertures in the façade at regular intervals further assist in venting wind pressure. With smooth curved glass, the three corners contrast with the more textured curtain wall cladding the body.

Rising from the tripod-shaped base with wind pressure-reducing vents installed at the tips of the three legs, the tower encompasses 200,000 sm of offices, 50,000 sm of luxury apartments and condominiums, a 45,000 sm five-star hotel, and a 5,000 sm private club.

The space inside the tower echoes the exterior silhouette as well. The entrances to the primary elevator bank recall the conical form, while the lobbies and other amenity spaces feature sweeping, fluid line and a natural blue-grey palette, reminiscent of the reflective glass curtain wall.