Beijing’s Highest Tower in the Heart of the Financial District

Beijing’s Highest Tower in the Heart of the Financial District
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With its shape inspired by a zun, an ancient Chinese ritual vase from the Bronze Age, CITIC Tower (China Zun) CITIC Headquarters is one of the most iconic towers of the entire financial district of the Chinese capital. Created by KPF - known, above all, for the Shanghai World Financial Center in Shanghai and the Ping An Finance Centre in Shenzhen - thanks to the blending of classic iconography and futuristic technologies, contributing to creating new balance in an area with an increasing concentration of contemporary architectural marvels in the Chinese megapolis. In profile, the tower recalls the shape of a zun vase; towards the ground, the rounded lines soften the structure, giving it a sense of lightness. It is a perfect balance between flair and rigour, aesthetics and structural necessities - the infrastructure of the building was conceived to guarantee structural integrity in one of China’s major seismic zones. The tower, besides rising to 528 metres - the fifth highest in China - is also connected to a vast underground transport network, complex systems of pedestrian walkways, a B2-level roadway and four metro lines linking into three stations.

Manuela Lietti - © 2022 ARTE.it for Bulgari Hotel Beijing