nordic office of architecture designs spiraling observation tower as part of 'nanchang waves'

nordic office of architecture has completed ‘nanchang waves’, a project in china’s jiangxi province that includes a spiraling observation tower. located next to a wetland park in the city of nanchang, the design responds to the natural qualities of the site, creating a spatial experience where building and landscape blend together. the project consists of three natural elements — water, earth, and sky — which correspond to three functional areas: the front square, the commercial facilities, and the observation tower.

all images © schran image

nordic office of architecture, a firm based in oslo, with offices in copenhagen, london, and reykjavik, says that the landscape design of the front square is integrated with the ancient water culture of nanchang and the landscape of the adjacent lake. ‘each of the landscape nodes contain functions for people of different ages and provide interesting and memorable spatial experiences,’ explain the architects.

the next element, which contains the site’s commercial facilities, is a building with an accessible rooftop that has been designed as a continuation of the surrounding terrain. ‘the landscape of the front square extends above the three-dimensional space of the architecture, through a slowly unfolding outdoor amphitheater,’ states the design team. the retail and commercial functions are visually linked to the neighboring open air plaza.

the experience culminates with a dramatic observation tower that serves as a contemporary landmark for the city. the spiraling structure joins nanchang’s historic towers, such as the wanshou pagoda, which can be seen from the site. the architects say that the double spiral staircase has been designed as a experiential journey in its own right, as well as providing access to the observation platform above. ‘when reaching the top, one enters the observation deck, where people can get an unparalleled view of the natural landscape of the nearby wetlands, admire the city skyline in the distance, and experience the changing landscape at sunrise and sunset.’

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project info:

name: nanchang waves / OCT · vanke waterfront city, the floating pier
location: intersection of yunjin road and zhenjun road, xihu district, nanchang city, jiangxi province, china
gross built area: 5,844.8 sqm
completion year: 2020

architecture firm: nordic office of architecture
lead architect: thomas lindgård fagernes
design team: zhang yang, diana cruz, pedro joel costa, lucia borg, valentina glavica
client: jiangxi vanke (zhu shu, wan luobin, zhou qinghua, li jialei, zhang dengchun, chang yumeng, li huile)
consultant: vanke shanghai area VANSN (qi wei, jiang ziqi)
landscape design: zhu yufan studio (zhu yufan, yao yujun, ma ke, qiu baiwei, zhang boya, liu yunshuo, zhang ning, cao tianhao, yang yuxin, liu si, cheng piao, jia mingrui)
lighting design: shanghai PINKO lighting design consultant
logo design: LINKSWORKZ DESIGN STUDIO
architectural construction drawing design: shanghai foreign construction architectural design co., ltd.
landscape construction drawing design: shanghai qidi landscape planning and design co., ltd.
structural consultant: rambøll
project general contracting: zhongtian construction group co., ltd.
landscape construction: hangzhou tianqin landscape engineering co., ltd.
sculpture construction: shanghai haosuo environmental art co., ltd.
GRC construction: nanjing beilida new material system engineering co., ltd.
photography: schran image