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RMJM-designed St. Regis Zhuhai hotel and office tower just opened its doors — here’s everything you need to know about it
One of China’s flagship green cities, Zhuhai strikes a fine balance between innovative, thriving business hubs and ventures for clean energy and green industry. The St. Regis Zhuhai hotel & office tower, the latest addition to the Zhuhai Shizimen Central Business District, is the very epitome of this.
Before opening its doors to the public on the 18th of October 2018, the structure had already been recognised by the Zhuhai Government as the tallest building in the city, with the tip towering 328.8 metres above the ground. Local government figures have hailed it as “China’s new architectural landmark”, largely down to its size, environmentally-friendly credentials, plush exterior and the design’s scenic connotations.
After being commissioned by the Huafa Group, who is responsible for the development of the wider business district, RMJM drew inspiration from Zhuhai’s unique rock formations, taking advantage of the surrounding southern and eastern views to design landscapes and gardens which virtually flow into the building, blurring internal and external divisions. The slender build is already a standout sight of the Shizimen development, which is currently undergoing work with the rest of the Zhuhai CBD, allowing it to grow not only financially, but also culturally.
On top of being known for its scenery, the surrounding area is known for its economic prosperity. The Zhuhai Shizimen Central Business District, a coastal area occupying a site of 26.96 hectares, is at the very centre of this. Alongside the hotel and office tower, visitors to the CBD can find exhibition and convention centres which are used as a meeting place for businesses and like-minded individuals from both Zhuhai, nearby regions such as Guangdong, Macau and Hong Kong, and the wider world. Otherwise, visitors can enjoy an international 5-star hotel, a business and retail ribbon and serviced apartment buildings.
It’s no small wonder that, so soon after its completion, the building has made headlines all over the world, being praised for its exuberant, harmonious, but above all, stylish office tower design. Besides the buildings aesthetics, here are three must-know facts about the Zhuhai St. Regis hotel & office tower.
St. Regis Zhuhai hotel & office tower — three key facts
- The tower itself occupies 484,512 metres squared above ground and 11,370 metres squared below ground.
- Comprising a total of 68 floors, the St. Regis Zhuhai hotel & office tower is the 71st tallest in the world and the 32nd tallest in China.
- Staying true to the structure’s green credentials, the heart of the site occupied by the building is a vehicular-free zone. Capitalising on this, the immediate surrounding area has been made into a selection of verdant, pedestrian-friendly plazas, with the drop-off loop connected via sunken garden landscape elements.
The design principles
The Zhuhai Tower and surrounding development are built on environmentally-friendly design principles such as shading and orientation, while office spaces in the development are limited to being 18-22 metres wide to ensure natural ventilation. By incorporating environmental screens in the design, the mixed-use development manages to minimise any heat gain which may accrue. Undulating screens are also used in the nearby Sheraton Hotel’s facades to both activate elevation and provide clear open views for guests, which are simultaneously hidden from sight from the pedestrian crossings below.
This highlights the tower’s environmental design values, with all functional spaces (including the car parks) geared towards maximising natural daylight and ventilation. Construction of the tower finished in September 2017, with the finished building comprising a 250-key St. Regis hotel tower and Grade A office spacing.
The bigger picture
RMJM’s latest design is one part of the wider Zhuhai Shizimen masterplan, which consists of 640,000 square metres of accommodation. The first phase of the mixed-use development comprises 362,000 square metres of convention, theatre, banquet and exhibition facilities, working to further cement Zhuhai and the Pearl River Delta’s reputation as a modern hub of infrastructure and culture.
As well as these public and civic functions, the development is home to retail and food outlets, serviced apartments and a 548-key Sheraton Hotel, along with the St. Regis hotel tower and inbuilt office spaces.
RMJM’s St. Regis Zhuhai hotel & office tower (or the Zhuhai Tower) isn’t RMJM’s first project in the city, with other key projects including the spiralling 100-metre high Zhuhai Observation Tower (which is still under construction) and the multi-use, 646,500-square metre luxury Heart of Zhuhai development. The tower sits among other notable landmarks, like the Macau Tower and high-rise apartments which have been scheduled to be built across the water as part of the Shizimen development.
Thanks to its success, the Shizimen CBD project has triggered the development of the entire Hengqin area, in what is set to be an exciting new era of construction for southern China. Learn more about the St. Regis Zhuhai hotel & office tower and browse related projects in the portfolio section of our website.