RSHP completes 212-metre butterfly skyscraper Hetao Alpha in Shenzhen

RSHP has completed a 212-metre, 45-storey office skyscraper in Shenzhen, China, whose two angled wings meet at a central core in what the studio calls a butterfly plan. The £120 million building, named Hetao Alpha, pairs a 37-storey east wing with a 44-storey west wing and rises from a mixed-use podium with a metro station in its basement.

"The naturally ventilated office tower features a striking butterfly layout with fully glazed east and west wings," the studio said. The two wings hold 70,410 square metres of office space, formed by cantilevered bays extended from the central concrete core. Mega trusses on refuge and service floors every 12 levels provide extra structural support.

How does the structure shape the design?

The perimeter structure is minimal, which gives the tower its slender edges. "Centred around a concrete core with suspended corner bays, the tower minimises its perimeter structure, creating slender edges and expansive double-height views, forming the distinct structural system that defines the tower's identity," said Marco Tessaro, associate at RSHP.

The fully glazed facade and open floor plates give office workers unobstructed city views. Curved double-height glazing at each wing's four corners frames views of the Shenzhen Bay Wetlands to the west and the Hong Kong Mai Po Wetlands to the south. Even the lifts, placed on the north and south facades of the central volume, are fully glazed for panoramic sightlines.

Louvred panels on the facade and vents built into the glazing allow natural ventilation throughout the building while cutting energy use. That strategy helped the project earn China's 3-star Green Building Evaluation Standard, equivalent to LEED Gold.

What sits at the base?

A six-level public podium connects to the east wing, and half of its roof terrace is reserved for greenery. RSHP added extensive planting, a feature wall and water elements to boost biodiversity and create a calm spot for socialising. Mega triangular trusses on the podium roof transfer the east wing's load back to the central core.

A second viewing platform sits on the west wing. Both terraces invite public visitors and tenants outdoors — partly to watch migrating birds, a popular local pastime. "The building's natural ventilation, green rooftop spaces, and energy-efficient facade define a truly sustainable development that reduces consumption while enhancing wellbeing for both occupants and the wider community," said Wenchao Zhou, associate at RSHP.

The 13,640-square-metre podium houses sports facilities, a library, retail and a double-height arts exhibition space. A passageway cuts through the ground floor's north and south ends, lending the volume a floating look. Inside, a double-height entrance lobby rests on slim columns tied to the triangular trusses above.

RSHP says one of the project's chief challenges was merging two separate briefs from different clients into one coherent whole. "Taking a holistic approach to the complex brief, RSHP's design for Hetao Alpha has created an open and welcoming destination for work, retail, and leisure that achieves a bold architectural identity with a seamless transition between public and private space," the studio explained.

"Spacious, open, and welcoming, the tower and podium integrate seamlessly to form an elegant composition that maximises connectivity with the wider public realm and the park to the east," said Richard Paul, director of RSHP. "With glazed office wings overlooking Shenzhen's wetlands and a public podium offering diverse activity, the development achieves a serene, flexible environment that accommodates a wide range of uses."

The project, built for client SH-STIC with CCDI Group as local design institute and China Railway Construction Engineering Group as general contractor, covers 96,223 square metres gross on an 11,118-square-metre site. It joins RSHP's growing Chinese portfolio, which includes a 186-metre mixed-use tower in Shanghai and a convention centre in Zhengzhou with 16 exhibition halls linked by a mile-long elevated walkway.