doarchi studio's spiraling tower generates a continuous view across rural shenzhen

with the ‘tower of spiral,’ chinese architecture studio doarchi introduces a response to the busy urban atmosphere of nearby shenzhen. the studio seeks to harness the serene, natural context of the rural, high altitude site, characterized as a vast expanse of land surrounded by mountains. facing out toward the distant mountain range, the observation tower overlooks a nearby reservoir. the design team sculpts the project to be a simple, straightforward ascension, offering visitors the chance to experience nature from different heights.

all images © SCHRAN

the ‘tower of spiral’ by doarchi introduces a slow, gradual ascension which generates continuous, flowing views. upon entering the relatively narrow structure, visitors are greeted with a dizzying, light-filled interior which extends the full height of the space. the line of sight shifts between the distant landscape and the adjacent reservoir, reflecting both the open sky and the tower itself. 

the scheme serves to integrate the viewer, the architecture, and the earth. clad in a white PTFE membrane and a tensioned metal mesh, the tower’s materiality enhances the luminance of the interior and the delicacy of the structure on the land. with this translucent, impermeable skin, the continual outward-facing space presents a spiral of 810 degrees, cinematically framing its natural surroundings.

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project info:

title: tower of spiral

architecture: doarchi

location: guangming town, zhenyuan road, shenzhen, guangdong, china

clients: OCT group — guangming modern farming

lead architects: penn ding, oliver li

design team: jiajia tang, zhiyuan liu

engineering: jianbo miao, tong chen, dacang li

collaborators: IMBOX

height: 15.6 meters

completion: october, 2019

photography: SCHRAN