Shenzhen Energy Mansion – SEM is BIG’s proposal for an invited competition, organized by Shenzhen Energy Company. The skyscraper proposal is the result of the successful synergy between Bjarke Ingels group and ARUP and Transsolar, and its currently under construction.
The skyscraper typology has evolved as an economically efficient way to provide flexible, functional and well-illuminated work spaces for very dense population of professionals. However, since the early 20th century, air conditioning and electric lighting have served as modern solutions to highly increasing demand without seriously thinking to environmental consequences or energy shortages. Today the tower needs to evolve into a new sustainable species. It must, however, retain highly developed qualities such as daylight, flexibility, views and overall usability while still exercising new and untested attributes.
As seen from the city, Shenzhen Energy Mansion will appear as a rather classic shape but with an organic pattern. A folded curtain wall shades the building from the sun, creating a comfortable interior climate. The folds create special niches and unique spaces inside the office floors, as well as on the street level around the building. As they state at BIG, the traditional curtain wall glass façade now has an insulation level and leaves offices overheated only by direct sunlight. As the result, the excessive air conditioning consumption for air conditioning as well as the need for heavy glass coating has been reduces to minimum. By combining maximum daylight exposure with minimal sunshine exposure and using integrated ways of limiting the need for cooling, this progressive vertical mansion acts as a model for the 21st century skyscraper and energy headquarters.
