The Xinhu Hangzhou Prism by Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) embarks on construction. Architects Chris van Duijn and Michalis Hadjistyllis lead the project, expecting completion by 2020. The project forms the heart of Hangzhou’s Future Tech City in the new Technology Central Business District (CBD).

Image by Bloomimages and courtesy of OMA.

The Prism’s physical outlook perhaps represents Hangzhou’s tech-thriving context. The terraces on the facades make for a lively watch adding to the dynamic form. The Prism's inner void promises fresh communal spaces.

Image by Bloomimages and courtesy of OMA.

The project broke ground in Hangzhou, China. One of China’s most beautiful cities, Hangzhou hosts high quality of life and is the capital of the Zhejiang Province. The city has been rapidly developing as an important tech-hub. It is home to some of China’s largest technology companies (including Alibaba Group Holding and NetEase) and a burgeoning start-up scene.

Image by Bloomimages and courtesy of OMA.

OMA’s design for Xinhu Hangzhou Prism integrates modernity into the beauty of the surrounding natural landscape. "A pinnacle reaching into the sky, the Prism pays homage to the ancient saying that there is 'paradise above, and Hangzhou below'. The Prism is complemented by an adjacent 35,000-square-metre residential tower, reflecting the geometry of a prism in its façade," says OMA. 

The design is a 50,000-square-metre prism, obtained by two oblique cuts on a cuboid. Terraced lofts are made on the faces the Prism, to create generous scenic views. A large interior void is made for a publicly accessible garden with water features and playgrounds.

Image courtesy of OMA. Photography by Fred Ernst.

"Xinhu Hangzhou Prism will encourage the development of a creative community in the new CBD of Hangzhou. The design enables flexible programming and a broad repertoire of communal outdoor spaces, while maintaining a strong visual identity: striking in its form, archetypical yet contemporary," says Chris van Duijn.

Top image courtesy of OMA. Image by Bloomimages.

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