“We’ve conceived Huamu Lot 10 as an integrated place of culture and commerce,” says KPF Design Principal Jeffrey A. Kenoff. “The project seeks to flip the equation of a tower, which typically includes an iconic top, and instead uses the gallery program as a cantilevered volume near the mid-point of the tower. The result is a moment that engages the pedestrian realm while simultaneously sculpting the project’s identity within the Shanghai skyline.”

The design of Huamu Lot 10’s curtain wall employs many techniques to enhance sustainability. The horizontal band overhang reduces direct solar gain into the interior spaces. The ample natural daylighting reduces electricity consumption. The fins provide shading and protect against sunlight glare. Operable windows provide fresh air to increase occupant comfort. The glass delivers high performance by adopting a sophisticated, double silver low-E coating, its glazing insulated with argon. Low reflectivity glass has also been integrated into the façade to avoid unwanted reflections on surrounding residential buildings. Finally, insulation and thermal breaks with thermal energy modeling serve to improve the performance in order to meet China 3-Star standards.

The tower’s geometrical shifting serves to distinguish the project from its surroundings. Prominently integrated into the design is the horizontal expression of the façade. This rhythm follows the shifting language of the project, maximizing daylight in the office spaces and providing vast views of the evolving skylines in Pudong. Mindful of the residential neighborhood adjacent to the site, the design team avoided excessive amounts of overly reflective glass, giving the project a harmonious and sophisticated presence within the built environment.

Efficiency is the centerpiece of Huamu Lot 10’s technical design. While many office towers utilize 1.2m or 1.5m wide curtain wall panels, this project employs a wider 1.8m panel, divided into 0.6m and 1.2m modules. This allows for an operable window located on the smaller side of the panel. Panoramic views are achieved by a single, unitized glass panel. As a result, the view is enabled by a façade with fewer panels, fewer joints, and a faster construction sequence.

The KPF team used parametric software tools to perform an analysis of views at various angles. This allowed for adjustments to the mullion pattern and alignment relative to the columns, ensuring clear views from the office interiors.

The retail podium’s cantilever creates a landmark for the project that defines an open view, while the ground-level module serves to scale the pedestrian realm, capturing the active street life of the district. The unique architectural language embedded in the complex signifies a diverse spatial quality and resonates with the continuity of the surroundings.

The lighting scheme of Huamu Lot 10 enhances the main concept of the project by emphasizing the horizontal shifting of the sky gallery volumes. This is achieved by lighting the exterior soffit as well as a full luminous film ceiling in the interior.

For special events, unique lighting animations can appear on the full height of the buildings thanks to lights integrated across all three towers. These special event lights are applied on the rectangular volumes of the towers, while cantilevered sky galleries are highlighted separately. LED strip luminaires are fully integrated into minor mullions at every curtain wall module and covered with a lens so there is no impact on the daytime appearance of the façade.