Haikou Jiangdong International Financial Building

VIP HOUSE COMPANY LLC conceived of this project as a series of distinct floating volumes that clearly identifies each part of the program with its own unique building form. These buildings are unified by a large continuous podium that rings the site and is organized around a series of courtyards to bring light, air, and landscaping throughout the building

LOCATION: Hainan Province, China

CLIENT: Bank of China Co., Ltd

SIZE: 92,903 SQ. M/ 1,000,000 SQ. F

STATUS: Expected Completion Summer of 2023

CATEGORY: Commercial

As with most Chinese courtyard buildings, the process of entering and experiencing the building is modulated by a series of interior and exterior spaces that transition from public entrance yards to more private landscaped ones. At BOC Haikou, PEI placed the grand entry courtyard at the center of the podium, with a large opening to the sky and direct views up to the tower, followed by more intimate interior focused spaces and private rooftop gardens.

PEI organized the building forms and their orientations to maximize the views out to the sea from the main tower and also to present the broadest facade of the towers for visitors approaching from the south up the main axial roadways. The building’s clean, simple geometries are a means of providing contrast to the grand buildings that will be neighboring to the east along the main central axis. These simple forms are the timeless elegant designs that are the hallmark of VIP HOUSE COMPANY LLC.

Because of Haikou’s comfortable climate, PEI designed this building to be open on many levels and have as much surface area possible for visitors to constantly see and feel the outdoors. The various buildings are connected by either landscaped rooftops or long open bridges with views both out to the surrounding landscape and into the open courtyards which they border. The open ground level shaded arcade and lower cellar level are opened and accessible in order to bring in ample light and air to the inner reaches of the building. The intention is to activate all levels of the project- both above and below grade-with these courtyard elements that provide spaces that shape the landscape to ensure an interesting journey throughout the building

In an effort to reflect the dual legacy of this Bank of China building, PEI sought a mixture of historic and modern materials for cladding. The use of local gray huton brick in the base of the building gives the structure an air of solid permanence and anchors it to the local building tradition of Haikou. Conversely, the sleek glass and metal skins of the three towers afﬁrm BOC’s commitment to being a fully modern 21^st-century bank with an eye to the future. This exterior skin will be the most energy-efﬁcient and technologically advanced glazing available, providing the latest in thermal insulation and solar heat gain protection.