Zaha Hadid Architects draws on fluted orchid for Taipei skyscraper

UK studio Zaha Hadid Architects and Taiwanese studio CY Lee & Partners have unveiled plans for a 47-storey-tall skyscraper beside a 1930s post office in Taipei.

Planned for the city's financial district, the National Innovation, Creativity and Finance Center, or NICFC, will house four financial institutions, including the stock exchange, futures exchange, depository and clearing corporation.

Zaha Hadid Architects and CY Lee & Partners drew on the fluted shape of the island's native Phalaenopsis Orchid for the tower's glazed form. The building is defined by concave bays at its front and "vertical pleats" on its western facade that allow the building to "breathe like a living organism".

"NICFC's design incorporates a responsive pleated facade system to regulate solar irradiation and airflow," said Zaha Hadid Architects.

"Defined by the curvature of the tower, this precision engineered system adapts to varying depths and angles to mitigate solar heat gain and guide air flow – enabling the architecture to 'breathe' like a living organism," it continued.

"A system of vertical pleats generates a geometric pattern and rhythm within the western facade overlooking the natural landscapes along the banks of the Tamsui River."

Its structure was designed to complement the studios' restoration and conversion of the historic Taipei Beimen Post Office, which is being converted into a museum and cultural venue.

Connecting the site's new and existing programmes at ground level will be a large courtyard, where sweeping canopies will create a partially-sheltered public space for performances and events.

At the base of the skyscraper, a five-storey podium has been designed to mirror the scale of the existing post office, with renders revealing undulating, low-rise volumes complete with glazed fronts and accessible rooftops.

Rising up from the podium, the tower appears as three interconnected volumes ascending in height to provide shading and reduce wind forces at its upper floors.

Inside, the NICFC will provide distinct zones for the four institutions, along with additional floors of shared office space and a conference centre, accessed by various elevator shafts.

In contrast to the glazed volumes, the post office's classical-style frontage will be retained along with its original interiors.

According to Zaha Hadid Architects, the NICFC has been designed to operate at net-zero carbon emissions and will have photovoltaics integrated into its facade along with solar panels on its roof.

Elsewhere, the studio has designed a curving cultural district on along the Zhedong Canal in Hangzhou, China and has submitted designs for the Trump airport terminal alongside many other well-known studios.

The renders are by X Universe Visual Design.

The post Zaha Hadid Architects draws on fluted orchid for Taipei skyscraper appeared first on Dezeen.