http://www.skyscrapernews.com/news.php?ref=1586
Wilkinson Eyre Push Diagrid To New Heights
Published on 17-06-2008 by Skyscrapernews.com
Pushing the popular diagrid look to new heights is the Wilkinson Eyre designed West Tower, an under construction supertall skyscraper in the Chinese city of Guangzhou.
Designed to stand at 103 storeys and a maximum height of 438 metres, the $750 million dollar project will be the second tallest building in China although with the rate of supertall skyscrapers being built increasing rapidly around the world it will only be the twelfth tallest in the world once completed. If built now though it would rank as the fourth tallest in the world to roof.
Central to the structure is huge concrete core around which the curved triangular floor plates are ordered offering 448,000 square metres of space in total.
Much of the tower, 69 floors in total, will be offices but there will also an hotel on floors 70 to 98, an observation deck at levels 99 and 100 whilst at ground level will be a massive shopping mall.
The exterior is dominated by the concrete cross-bracing that forms a diagrid running up the tower from top to bottom providing it with impressive structural strength. In front will be glass curtain walling continuing all the way to a façade overrun at the top of the tower that is aimed to create a "crystalline form".
Ambitiously, a second identical tower on the other side of the road West Tower overlooks was also planned but this seems to have been put on hold although those working on the project insist that "harmony" between the two planned towers will remain.
Developer, the Guangzhou Construction Committee, saw work begin on site in January 2006 and aims to complete West Tower sometime in 2010.