Urban planning guidelines forbid the construction of “bizarre” and “odd-shaped” buildings that are devoid of character or cultural heritage. On the Block is a monthly series where we gather opinions on some of the unusual architecture that remains, from both a design and civilian viewpoint.

Beijing Greenland Center, Dawangjing

The Building

Wangjing may be ‘Koreatown’ but Dawangjing is ‘big Wangjing.’ Or at least it has the biggest buildings this side of Wangjing (northeast to be exact). The latest addition to this burgeoning business district is Beijing Greenland Center, a 260-meter-tall tower completed in 2016. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM) the tower literally glitters over its neighboring buildings due to its light-deflecting glass surface. Each glass section is made up of two trapezoids – one angled upwards and the other downward. The tower encompasses retail, offices and apartments over 173,000sqm. And, at 55 stories high, it also provides striking photo ops for the city’s rooftoppers. The glass facade not only looks good but also is good, with the panels’ self-shading effect helping the center save energy.

The Residents’ View

Local driver Wang is impressed by the tower, he says. “It looks great – the glass design is quite special. It looks like a nice watchstrap.” A passing motorcyclist, Dong, is also complimentary: “This building is really wonderful. Dawangjing is like the second CBD of Beijing.” Another passerby – there’s a lot of foot traffic here – praises the center as “very nice.”

The Architect’s View

Studio O architect Angelo Michele Pagano views the Greenland Center as “an American interpretation of the Chinese compound. It’s a more contemporary design of a traditional landscape, where water and greenery co-exist, thus recalling the typical Chinese park, but without the organic layout that characterizes Chinese design. The building instead uses the tri-dimensionality of the facade to catch as much light and sunshine as possible,” he says. “So the facade acts not only as an eye-catching image, but contributes to the overall [energy-saving] system. The prismatic motif reflects the surroundings and the sky, setting a new landmark for Beijing.”