NBBJ adds pentagonal office buildings to nanjing's 'eco hi-tech island' in china

NBBJ has completed the latest phase of the ‘nanjing eco hi-tech island’ — a center for the development and practice of high-tech innovation in china. located on the yangtze river, just 6.5 kilometers (4 miles) from downtown nanjing, the island will help drive the city’s economic advancement and the future of the area’s sustainable development. the ‘xin wei yi technology park’ is the first plot to be developed from the island’s masterplan and is situated adjacent to the island’s main bridge.

image by shao feng | main image by terrence zhang

having finalized the design of the site’s exhibition hall in 2017, NBBJ has now added a series of sustainable office research buildings to the sprawling complex. the project features a range of mixed-use spaces, including office buildings that serve as incubators for technology and environmental companies, as well as a flagship cultural venue and public promenades.

image by shao feng

importantly, the project also explores the issue of sustainability in china where development continues at a rapid pace. sustainability features of the project include a number of water-saving elements with zero water runoff and rainwater harvesting techniques employed to help reduce water use for irrigation by up to 50% when compared with traditional systems.

image by shao feng

other energy-reduction strategies include roofs that encourage daylight harvesting, and natural ventilation that helps lower energy use by more than 30%. see designboom’s previous coverage of the development here, and see other projects by NBBJ on our dedicated page.

image by shao feng

image by shao feng

image by shao feng

image by shao feng

image by shao feng

image by terrence zhang

project info:

name: nanjing eco hi-tech island
location: nanjing, china
architect: NBBJ
area: 13.4 hectares
size: exhibition hall: 24,000 sqm; R&D office: 62,000 sqm; residential: 34,000 sqm
components: exhibition hall, eight research office buildings and residential