Shanghai West Bund AI Tower & Plaza / Nikken Sekkei

Located on the west bank of the Huangpu River (West Bund), which runs north-to-south through Shanghai, this project comprises four buildings, including two skyscrapers. Nikken Sekkei was selected in an international design competition in 2009 to lead a new urban development on the site of the former local Longhua Airport. The firm has been involved in local area urban and architectural design for over a decade. The most distinctive feature of the project is the "wind design" of the overall layout and the shape of the building volumes. The shape and exterior of the buildings, the public spaces in the commercial zone, the landscaping, and the interior designs reflect wind-generated streamlining. This concept runs through the entire project.