China’s Mesmerizing Wuhan Greenland Center – An Incomplete Storey  

When talking about skyscrapers all over the world, China stands at the first position. It has more than 1400 towers, of which 48 are super tall buildings with a height of 300 meters and above.

In 2018, it had build 88 high-rise towers. However, there is a mesmerizing skyscraper ‘Wuhan Greenland Center,’ which is still under construction, or you can say that never completed. Here in this article, we will discuss the ins and outs of this to-be tallest skyscraper in the world, beating many existing ones.   

source: insider.com

Project Details:

Name: Wuhan Greenland Center (WGC) 

Architect: Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill Architecture

Owner: Wuhan Greenland Bin Jiang Property Co. Ltd.

Location: Wuhan, Hubei

Architectural Style: Modern

Starting Year: 2012

Status: Under Construction

source: insider.com

Currently, the tower’s construction is at a halt on the 96th floor due to airspace regulations. The original height of the building is supposed to have a rise of 636 meters. With this height, it was surpassing the second tallest building in the world, Shanghai Tower, by 14 feet. Also, it was to leave the Tokyo Skytree behind (by 7 feet) and secure the place of the second tallest structure in the world after Burj Khalifa. 

In regards to airspace regulation and keeping in mind the air traffic, the government said the construction of WGC needs to be reduced to a height of 500 meters. On 6th June 2020, the Chinese government signed a ‘new era’ for architecture with a ban on all super-tall buildings above 500 meters. After this, WGC, which was going to be the tallest building, will surpass Shenzhen’s Ping An Finance Center.

We still don’t know what will happen and when this building will have the completed status? But we do know about its structure and sustainable features.

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Facilities of WGC Tower

source: dezeen.com

Some towers are solely made for commercial use, but this one is a mixture of many. The WGC tower has the spaces for office, apartment, and hotel.

The building’s allocation is 45,000m² for a five-star hotel, 50,000m² for apartments and condos, 200,000m² for office spaces, 10,000m² for exhibition center, and a 27m tall penthouse for the panoramic views of Wuhan.

The plan is made so that every tenant or visitor will have separate entrances at the ground level.

source: pinterest.com

Exterior Structure of Wuhan Greenland Center

source: dezeen.com

When the design was made, the things that architectures kept in mind were about wind and seismic consideration. For every 600 meters and above structure, these both are the foremost factors, as the building has to go through them for a lifetime. 

To beat them all, the construction’s structural features were based on three key shaping concepts: a tapered body, softly rounded corners, and a domed top. The building’s design is in a triangular form with three steel-reinforced columns rising high and joining at the top, forming the crown shape.

The construction has it’s own distinctive architectural personality, which can be seen through its slots at different elevations on the floors. This didn’t only provide a unique and seamless structure but also stiffness and strength.

Along with this, it is designed to be the aerodynamic structure, for which different apertures are established to vent the wind pressure. Also, the air intake & exhaust systems and window washing equipment will occupy these vent spaces.

source: newatlas.com

Interior of Wuhan Greenland Center

source: newatlas.com

The AS + GG Architecture planned the interior of the WGC in such a way that it should reflect the silhouette of the fluid sculpted building. 

The conical shapes are given preference for the elevator entrances, public spaces, and elevator cabs.

There will be a blue-grey palette with fluid lines in amenity spaces and lobbies. (Reflecting the glass texture.)

On the ground floor, there will be a transparent wall offering the best architectural view of exteriors. Along with these, there will be art galleries, an art-themed lounge, and a screen viewing room in the building.

source: inhabitat.com

Sustainability of the Wuhan Greenland Center

source: inhabitat.com

Also Read: 11 Magnificent Tallest Buildings Under Construction In The World

The Wuhan Greenland Center is the best example where art meets the scientific approach. The original plan of the building has 119 levels, and with that, it was designed in a way where there will be nearly no harm to the environment. 

This is one of the most energy-effective supertall buildings in the world, saving 51% of energy as compared to other office spaces. How? Look at the point mentions below:

– First comes the energy-generating ventilation system. It has enthalpy wheels in the ventilation system, which will capture the exhaust air and will use it in pre-heating or pre-cooling the air entering the building.

– Another fantastic approach is the grey-water recovery system, which collects the wastewater from the hotel laundry, showers, and sinks then reuse it in the building’s evaporative cooling system.

– Next is the high-efficiency lighting system, where low-energy-consuming ballasts and lamps are used to keep the consumption to the required number only. The lightings on the premises will automatically turn off when there is enough daylight.

– One more effective and sustainable system is of water-efficient plumbing fixtures, which will reduce the total amount of potable water required.

source: archiscene.net

Final Verdict on WGC:

source: inhabitat.com

source: archiscene.net

These were the things that you need to know about the Wuhan Greenland Center. It is said that it will be completed in the year 2021, with less than a height of 500 meters. After the completion, it is going to be the 15th tallest building in the world. For more updates on architectural designs and their insights, visit ArchitecturesStyle.