China has been at the forefront of architectural design with many buildings and premises drawing attention of world media and architects from other countries. One such recently developed building is the high-rise tower which will be a mixed use development in Wuhan. Let us look more closely at this tower and the special features it has.
Mixed use development by Aedas
This super high-rise tower is being built in lively Qiaokou district’s Jinghan Avenue and it is still under construction. Qiaokou district as many would know, is considered the business as well as commercial hub of Wuhan with good transit railway accessibility.
Heartland 66
This building is being built as a mixed use development and named Heartland 66 which will consist of Grade-A office tower, top class shopping mall, and will have serviced apartments.
Building design
The design of this building is based on the concept called “infinity loop” which relates to the centuries old Chinese art related to knot tie. In Chinese culture, the interwoven knots are normally fastened with the help of a jade ornament, which symbolizes wealth and blessing.
Practical implementation of the design
This concept of infinity knots and loops are the brainchild of two executive directors of Aedas, David Clayton and Christine Lam. The concept has been actually put into practical use to create definite retail circulation and appears in the building as a feature that fuses together all the three uses.
The infinite form that is created using knots is practically visible in the roof form and circulation that connects the destination to anchors using arcades which appear to have quite a seamless flow.
Various sections in the shopping mall
The shopping mall within Heartland 66 is divided into three zones; first is the retail zone which has a huge atrium for public events, followed by alfresco zone which consists of a blend of dining and retail outlets along with outdoor terraces, and the last zone is the entertainment zone that has cinemas.
This building also has an office tower which is about three hundred meters tall and is well connected with the winter garden and the shopping mall, providing a wonderful view of the nearby park which is close to the union of Han river.
Summary
This building is a wonderful mix of traditional details and modern architectural marvel. If you happen to be in Wuhan then make sure that you do visit Heartland 66.