Icon Yunduan Tower is a 192-metre-high hybrid building located in a high-tech zone on the outskirts of the city of Chengdu. The tower is a landmark visible on entering the city as well as a focal point for the earlier building phases of the area. The project is based on a winning entry in an invited architecture competition in 2009.
During the design process, what was originally planned as an office tower evolved into a versatile, mixed-use building complex. A shopping centre occupies the first two levels of the 47-storey building, while the third and fourth floors feature restaurants. A conference centre spans the fifth floor, followed by offices and an apartment hotel. The top three floors contain dining, reception and meeting areas.
Underground premises provide parking and a connection to the metro station. The underground spaces were originally planned to accommodate a spa, but the client later decided to replace these with a concert hall seating 900. The concert hall was designed by our local partner China South West Architecture and Design Institute (CSWADI) partly under and partly adjacent to the building.
The tower has an L-shaped plan at ground level that grows into a square towards the top. This form creates a sweeping façade that overlooks the Tianfu River and a straight edge that defines the corner of the site along Tianfu Avenue. The curved elevations to the south and east are defined by green terraces up to the 30th floor. Solid glass elements and glazed ceramic panels alternate to form a checquered pattern on the other facades.
Chengdu is located in an earthquake-susceptible area, which is reflected in the structure. The walls of the central lift and building technology shaft are 1.2 m thick, and the concrete foundation slab is over 2 m thick. The columns in the five-storey-high lobby are 1.5 m thick.
PES-Architects also created the master plan and concept-level landscaping plans for the site. Detailed interior design drafts were made for the building’s public spaces, but these were subsequently adapted to local preferences and the tenants’ requirements. The spatial highlight of the building is the 30-metre high lobby that opens to the east and towards the river.
The form of the building is evocative of a white mountain with garden terraces, rising from the water up towards the sky. Hence, the building was named Yun Duan, “Above the clouds”.
The main tenant of the building is the EU Project Innovation Centre (EUPIC), which operates the Business and Innovation Centre for China-Europe Cooperation in the premises.
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