"The new Shenzhen headquarters for the Chinese fintech company WeBank punches holes right through this convention. Designed by SOM, the 30-story tower employs a diverse range of ventilation techniques that break the seal of the typical glass-and-steel skyscraper. It could be a new model for letting air inside tall buildings, letting people out, and improving the overall experience of working in a skyscraper."
"Completed earlier this year, the naturally ventilated high rise's design uses open-air terraces, operable windows, and precisely engineered indoor atria to bring natural air inside and throughout the building. Large double-height spaces on the edges of the building are open to the air, and sliding doors and pop-out windows around the building let air move inside easily. "There aren't that many buildings out there at this height that have this degree of indoor-outdoor space," says Scott Duncan, an architect and design partner at SOM."
WeBank's 30-story Shenzhen headquarters, designed by SOM, uses natural ventilation through open-air terraces, operable windows, and engineered indoor atria. Large double-height edge spaces are open to the outdoors, while sliding doors and pop-out windows enable airflow into occupied areas. Multiple vertical atria create visual connectivity and channels that allow hot air to rise and exhaust from the building. The design prioritizes easy outdoor access on every floor, reducing the sealed, glass-and-steel convention of tall towers. The project reflects a broader shift toward integrating outdoor access and operable openings in high-rise design following pandemic-era rethinking.
Read at Fast Company
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