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China National Aviation Holding Company’s Head Office
China National Aviation Holding Company’s Head Office
Beijing, China
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Other Projects by Arep Group
China National Aviation Holding Company’s Head Office
Beijing, China
The international competition to design the Head Office of the China National Aviation Holding Company (CNAHC), the umbrella company for Air China and its subsidiaries, was launched in April 2008. The results were announced on 7 May 2008 and AREP was declared the winner. The building will be delivered in early 2016, after three years of works.
The project reflects the image of a large State-owned company, the No. 1 airline in the world's largest country, i.e. an image of modernity and a synonym for the quality of China’s organisation of its air transportation. It also plays an important role in the overall design of the urban landscape. The programme for the building involves organising the offices of the airline’s operational centre over an area of over 128,000 m2, along with reception halls, exhibition and conference premises and an exchange of national and international techniques.
The 2-hectare site is located to the north-east of Beijing, on the edge of the 3rd ring road in an area that has already been developed. Its specific feature is that it creates an angle of 49.65 degrees in relation to the north-south axis, which guides the organisation of construction sites and buildings in Beijing. We adhered to the city's historical sequencing by emphasising the north-south aspect of the building. The variable curve of the west façade enables the paradox of these two axes to be managed. Accordingly, the ground plan, which is a large garden, combines curved outlines and orthogonal grids.
This identity-affirming building symbolises both “unity” and “diversity”. It is the representation of the magic of air transport and a vision of human activity, as seen from the sky. We see both these themes in its simple and obvious composition. The air metaphor is expressed in the curved form of the “wing” tower, while human activity is revealed by the small-scale buildings which are broken up, organised according to an orthogonal grid and surrounded by Chinese gardens.
The curved outline and the softness of the materials clearly identify this building within the highly conventional landscape of the surrounding buildings. It can be seen from relatively far away in the city.
To the south, when driving up the 3rd ring road, you can clearly identify the sparking delicate white blade, which stands out from the huge towers on either side. From the east, you see a shining, intriguing, ethereal blade, which is different from the stone towers that surround it. From the east, it is a fleeting vision of a great white wing which stands out against the sky. This sparkling wing, which is both sharp and vague, is a metaphor for the dream of air travel. It evokes serenity, power, lightness and gentleness. The building reflects daylight and the city lights at different times of the day.
From a usage perspective, the major advantage of this tower is also linked to the environmental context by playing on different façade coverings, depending on the various directions. To the south and west which are exposed to the sun, the building is protected by a second skin, a texture pixellized with white metal, which filters the light. To the east, the façade is open and receives the first light of the day, filtered by guidable vertical slats inside the offices. Both the direction and the shape of this project have been studied, in order to comply with the sunlight requirements of the surrounding residential buildings.
This identity-affirming project, which conveys a meaning, blends into its environment. It represents the China National Aviation Holding Company, the link between the sky and earth and between people and it meshes into the Beijing landscape with strength and gentleness, elegance and subtlety.
Client: Air China
Project management: AREP Ville in conjunction with IPPR (China)
Surface: 120 000 sqm - Height: 110 m
Beginning of the studies: 2008
Delivery: 2015
The project reflects the image of a large State-owned company, the No. 1 airline in the world's largest country, i.e. an image of modernity and a synonym for the quality of China’s organisation of its air transportation. It also plays an important role in the overall design of the urban landscape. The programme for the building involves organising the offices of the airline’s operational centre over an area of over 128,000 m2, along with reception halls, exhibition and conference premises and an exchange of national and international techniques.
The 2-hectare site is located to the north-east of Beijing, on the edge of the 3rd ring road in an area that has already been developed. Its specific feature is that it creates an angle of 49.65 degrees in relation to the north-south axis, which guides the organisation of construction sites and buildings in Beijing. We adhered to the city's historical sequencing by emphasising the north-south aspect of the building. The variable curve of the west façade enables the paradox of these two axes to be managed. Accordingly, the ground plan, which is a large garden, combines curved outlines and orthogonal grids.
This identity-affirming building symbolises both “unity” and “diversity”. It is the representation of the magic of air transport and a vision of human activity, as seen from the sky. We see both these themes in its simple and obvious composition. The air metaphor is expressed in the curved form of the “wing” tower, while human activity is revealed by the small-scale buildings which are broken up, organised according to an orthogonal grid and surrounded by Chinese gardens.
The curved outline and the softness of the materials clearly identify this building within the highly conventional landscape of the surrounding buildings. It can be seen from relatively far away in the city.
To the south, when driving up the 3rd ring road, you can clearly identify the sparking delicate white blade, which stands out from the huge towers on either side. From the east, you see a shining, intriguing, ethereal blade, which is different from the stone towers that surround it. From the east, it is a fleeting vision of a great white wing which stands out against the sky. This sparkling wing, which is both sharp and vague, is a metaphor for the dream of air travel. It evokes serenity, power, lightness and gentleness. The building reflects daylight and the city lights at different times of the day.
From a usage perspective, the major advantage of this tower is also linked to the environmental context by playing on different façade coverings, depending on the various directions. To the south and west which are exposed to the sun, the building is protected by a second skin, a texture pixellized with white metal, which filters the light. To the east, the façade is open and receives the first light of the day, filtered by guidable vertical slats inside the offices. Both the direction and the shape of this project have been studied, in order to comply with the sunlight requirements of the surrounding residential buildings.
This identity-affirming project, which conveys a meaning, blends into its environment. It represents the China National Aviation Holding Company, the link between the sky and earth and between people and it meshes into the Beijing landscape with strength and gentleness, elegance and subtlety.
Client: Air China
Project management: AREP Ville in conjunction with IPPR (China)
Surface: 120 000 sqm - Height: 110 m
Beginning of the studies: 2008
Delivery: 2015
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