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ON SITE: Works at Shenzhen Institute of Financial Technology begin installing its sculptural façade

Construction works at the Shenzhen Institute of Fincancial Technology have begun installing its sculptural façade

Located on a narrow site in the centre of Shenzhen’s Futian district, the tower’s composition is defined by its surrounding urban environment

Annual paths of the sun’s rays across the site have been mapped and modelled, with set-backs introduced into the tower’s volume to optimise the amount of direct sunlight reaching the district’s streets and public plazas


Located on a narrow site in the centre of Shenzhen’s Futian district, the 199m (46-storey) Shenzhen Institute of Financial Technology tower’s composition is defined by its surrounding urban environment. Annual paths of the sun’s rays across the site have been mapped and modelled, with set-backs introduced into the tower’s volume to optimise the amount of direct sunlight reaching the district’s streets, public plazas and existing neighbouring buidings.

The varying degrees of transparency and colour of the 76,000 sq. m tower’s façades are informed by these distortions within the building’s volume. Composed of vertical and angled glazing mullions crafted in black and bronze colours, the façades emphasise the unique geometries generated by the design’s formal contours.

A series of interior atria link together floors to promote interaction and collaboration. Foliage within these connecting atria filter air contaminants while the rooftop garden provides a variety of sheltered spaces for events, exhibitions, gatherings and personal relaxation.

The tower’s envelope incorporates high performance thermal insulation with external fins that provide self-shading. Detailed analysis of exposure to direct sunlight has informed the unique composition of each façade to mitigate solar heat gain.

A smart building system will learn to predict the tower’s user patterns and occupancy levels throughout the day. Automated by AI, this system incorporates hybrid natural ventilation and will continually adjust the tower’s services for the optimum comfort of occupants at maximum energy efficiencies. Recycled steel and aggregates procured from local suppliers contribute to reducing the embodied carbon of the tower's structure.

The Shenzhen Institute of Financial Technology is an institution of the Digital Currency Research Institute of the People's Bank of China (PBC) in Shenzhen. Located in the city’s Futian district, the first demonstration area for digital Renminbi (RMB) application in Shenzhen, the completion of the Shenzhen Institute of Financial Technology tower will encourage the development of digital RMB related industries in Shenzhen and serve as a digital RMB cross-border payment and technology centre; facilitating the expansion of digital RMB applications in Shenzhen and improving the digital RMB ecosystem.

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