SOM's sany IROOTECH headquarters coming to life in guangzhou

sany irootech headquarters tops out in guangzhou, china

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) has reached a milestone with the completion of the two-tower design for the Sany IROOTECH Headquarters in Guangzhou, China. A renowned company in the construction equipment manufacturing industry, Sany commissioned SOM to design a headquarters for its Rootcloud technology group, symbolizing its commitment to growth and innovation. The complex consists of two Class A office towers; one serves as the IROOTECH headquarters and the other as leasable tenant space.

Boasting an external diamond structure, the twin towers stand as a prominent landmark within the bustling and rapidly growing Pazhou business district. Rather than a typical solid podium base, an elevated podium bridges the two buildings, allowing the ground between them to become an inviting public plaza and gardens. In addition to escalators, stairs, and a public elevator that connects to a citywide system of covered walkways, visitors can reach the elevated podium via a pedestrian bridge from an adjacent park. Construction is expected to complete in 2025.

all images and renderings courtesy of SOM

SOM creates a mix of atmospheres and experiences

The Sany IROOTECH Headquarters, developed by the SOM team, presents a mix of atmospheres and experiences, giving a distinct character to each project section. This progression begins from a shaded public plaza with retail spaces to the commercial offices above. A central courtyard in the elevated podium brings light to the sheltered plaza areas, while its dimpled aluminum ceiling reflects light. Meanwhile, two transparent entrances in self-supporting laminated glass frame the plaza, providing a unified ground-floor experience. Here, visitors encounter tower structural columns, cast aluminum panels, local stone, and ribbed terrazzo as they move to the upper office levels.

Furthermore, visitors can navigate outdoor staircases to the raised podium, accessing shops, eateries, and views of the park and Pearl River. Complementing the spatial layout is a native landscape design that extends from the tower’s base to the podium and wrap-around balconies above. The multi-story elevated platform includes amenities such as a cafeteria, restaurants, a health club, meeting rooms, and public exhibition spaces.

the two-tower design of Sany IROOTECH headquarters topped out in Guangzhou

a design responding to the region’s climate & nature

SOM’s design considers Pazhou’s climate, landscape, and context, seamlessly incorporating nature to establish a more welcoming and interconnected workspace. Employing passive techniques, the complex embraces operable vents for natural ventilation, sliding glass terrace doors, perforated metal ceilings that facilitate air intake and exhaust, and facade modules that slant inward to provide shading. Upon entry, seasonal plantings native to the humid, subtropical climate set a warm tone to the atmosphere. Given the typhoon-prone region, the design team chose trees with robust root systems, ensuring resilience in severe weather. Additionally, tree-lined terraces on every fifth floor bring shade to the office interiors while minimizing solar exposure on the building’s exterior. These landscaped areas double as accessible communal outdoor spaces, offering a pleasant retreat for all.

SOM envisioned an external diamond structure

SOM brings a ductile diagrid system to the IROOTECH towers

Given how Guangzhou sits in an area prone to earthquakes and strong winds, the design and engineering teams focused on creating a sturdy, flexible, and efficient structure to withstand these challenges. The outcome is a diagrid system that offers exceptional stiffness and strength for a building of this height. Special friction nodes introduce flexibility into the diagrid system, enabling both towers to absorb and dissipate energy during earthquakes. After evaluating several structural options, this flexible diagrid design showed optimal performance during significant seismic events — specifically, less distortion and thus reduced structural damage. The design also reduces the need for complex connections, enhancing efficiency and ease of construction. Lastly, as a final touch, multi-story trusses in the raised podium span 65 meters to link the two towers of the Sany IROOTECH headquarters, forming a sheltered, public open space.

one tower serves as the IROOTECH headquarters and the other as leasable tenant space