Named after the ‘father of China’s railways’, the Zhan Tianyou Award is the highest honour for engineering and innovation in China’s civil and structural engineering industry. Established in 1999, the award is approved by China’s Ministry of Science and Technology as well as the Ministry of Construction for the award’s promotion of scientific and technological innovation and the successful applications of new technologies.
A 521,265m² mixed-use development consisting of three tapering towers that are 118m, 127m and 200m in height, Wangjing Soho’s design brings together the surrounding community in a popular new 60,000m² public park at its base.
Employing advancements in design, material and construction technologies, the application of 3D Building Information Modeling (BIM) in the design, construction and management of Wangjing Soho significantly increased efficiencies while also reducing the energy consumption and emissions of its daily operations.
Winner of the 2014 Emporis Skyscraper Awards, the world’s foremost prize for high-rise architecture, Wangjing Soho also received the 2016 Excellence Award from the China International Exchange Committee for Tall Buildings (CITAB) and Chicago-based Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) with the support of the Architectural Society of China. Recognising architecture that makes extraordinary contributions to the advancement of tall buildings and the urban environment, the CITAB/CTBUH jury awards projects that achieve sustainability at the highest and broadest level to enhance cities and the lives of their inhabitants.
With all units in Wangjing Soho towers 1 and 2 sold before completion, SOHO China retained units in tower 3 to develop successful new opportunities for the company; using the exceptional adaptability of the interiors to provide units on short-term leases booked via the ‘SOHO 3Q’ smartphone app. ‘SOHO 3Q’ has grown into the largest shared office community in China, offering flexible spaces for the many diverse talents within China’s new start-ups and rapidly developing IT and creative sectors, as well as established industry leaders.
Completed in 2014, Wangjing Soho is one of four project collaborations between Zaha Hadid Architects and Soho China that total 15 million square feet (1.4 million m²) of award-winning office and retail space.
Zhang Xin, CEO of SOHO China explained:
China attracts the best talent from around the world. It’s important to work with architects who understand what the next generation requires; connecting communities and traditions with new technologies and innovations to embrace the future.
