Pei Cobb Freed designs ‘glass sail’ tower for Shenzhen

New York-based Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, which designed the iconic US Bank Tower in Los Angeles, released designs for a new tower in the southern Chinese metropolis of Shenzhen.

The 29-story tower won’t be the tallest, but it is designed to grab attention and set itself apart from surrounding, glimmering towers with gently curved façades, resembling sails blown by the wind.

“Our aim was to evoke a timeless form,” Yvonne Szeto, Design Partner on the project, told Architizer. “A sail is both graceful and auspicious, taking its energy freely from nature.”

Shimmering and translucent glass, supported by metal beams, make up most of the tower’s body. At its base is stone cladding, which the architects say brings “a sense of solidity and dignity to the entry levels of the tower.”

Architizer has the full story.