The figurehead of the Guangzhou Finance City Master Plan, the One Pengrui Phase One buildings marked completion with ceremonies, performances, and fireworks on October 20.
Comprising luxury serviced apartments, amenities, and a cultural center, the four towers that make up Phase One of One Pengrui are set to become one of Guangzhou’s premiere architectural destinations. The elliptical form of the buildings reflects the curved path of the nearby Pearl River. Lush planting at the river’s edge extends into the development along a landscaped path, enhancing the project’s sponge city design, which includes porous paving, native shrubbery, and rainwater management systems.
The October 20 opening event was marked by musical performances, light shows, and speeches attended by a large audience, all in honor of One Pengrui’s potential to transform Guangzhou and provide an iconic symbol for its citizens. The design incorporates essential elements of Chinese philosophy to resonate with its local context, for example its rectilinear interior and curvilinear exterior are a reference to the ancient truism that “heaven is a circle, and the earth is a square.” The grand ceremony featured a performance by the Norwegian ensemble Secret Garden who commemorated the years of collaborative work that led up to the night with dreamy classical music.