UDG. Atelier Alpha has created a knitted-like skin evoking the pedals of the hibiscus flower, a city flower of Chengdu, China. 

Called Panda Tower, the project 4,785-square-metre tower is a new building at the new campus of the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. 

The tower, rising as a cultural landmark, incorporates observation platform, exhibition spaces, and provides a space for sightseeing. 

Image © SIMON 

While the studio creates a mathematically-controlled façade based on the program, the tower celebrates the combination of nature and technology with a striking and detailed aesthetic.

Image © SIMON

To create this distinctive language, the architects draw inspiration for the Panda Tower from bamboo shoots. 

Widely distributed in the Sichuan-Chongqing region, bamboo shoots are not only Giant Panda's favorite food, but also known as one of the most popular food ingredients in Sichuan cuisine.

View from hall. Image © SIMON

The Panda Tower has 11 floors. The tower, whose front façade looks like a cut off, creates a striking silhouette and permeable motif by creating a curved appearance with its rear façade and its lattice structure, which gives the building its overall language.

Image © Arch-Exist

The tower features a spacious viewing platform looking towards the central viewing area of the conservation park on each story. "Without curtain walls nor gratings, the floor slabs and the buttresses are honestly exposed," said UDG. Atelier Alpha.

For the main body of the tower, the studio uses floor slabs and arced structure units. The inspiration for this special motif comes from the pedals of the hibiscus flower, the city flower of Chengdu. 

Image © Arch-Exist

"The number of pedal slabs decreases in an arithmetic progression from the bottom of the tower to the top. Viewed from the central courtyard, the space demonstrated the beauty of mathematics," the studio added.

"The top of the curtain wall system of the Panda Tower has a mechanical system that opens the façade units according to programmed angles and speed on special days, such as the birth of new Giant Panda babies, the return of Giant Panda from oversea facilities, and important holidays and festivals," the design team added. 

View - Open mode. Image © SIMON

The studio describes the opening of the façade like "the sprouting of a bamboo shoot". The interaction with the visitors is eco-friendly and uses clean energy.

As the studio emphasized, the Panda Tower is a tower based on a completely program-controlled data. The team correlated all architectural elements through the constraints in the grasshopper definition. 

Image © SIMON

"The geometric constraints define the space, the mechanical constraints limit the structural components, and the dynamics control the retractable device," added the office. 

"This rigorous system of mathematical constraints is the most important design gene of the project, as well as the base of aesthetics of the resulted space."

Basement floor theatre. Image © SIMON

Viewing platform. Image © Arch-Exist

Image © SIMON

Outdoor stairs. Image © Arch-Exist

View from Ground floor. Image © Arch-Exist

View from atrium. Image © SIMON

View from atrium. Image © Arch-Exist

Stairs. Image © Arch-Exist

Floor unit. Image © Arch-Exist

View from viewing platform. Image © Arch-Exist

Image © Arch-Exist

Image © Arch-Exist

Image © Arch-Exist

Image © Arch-Exist

Image © Arch-Exist

Image © Arch-Exist

Image © Arch-Exist

Image © SIMON

View from the entrance of the site. Image © Arch-Exist

Basement floor plan

First floor plan

Second floor plan

Third floor plan

Fourth floor plan

7th floor plan

11th floor plan

Section

Elevation

Elevation

Curtain wall detail

Sketch

Project facts

Project name: Panda Tower 

Architecture: UDG. Atelier Alpha

Location: Chengdu, China 

Size: 4,785m2 

Date: 2021

Top image © SIMON

All images © SIMON, Arch-Exist

All drawings © UDG. Atelier Alpha

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