CITIC Tower, Beijing's Tallest Skyscraper
Located at the core of Beijing’s new 30-hectare central business district, the 528 meters CITIC Tower was inaugurated as Beijing’s highest building. Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF), the supertall innovative architecture remains culturally appropriate, drawing inspiration from the “zun”, a ritual vessel originating in Bronze Age China. On the challenges of the project, Li Lei, a Design Director states that the firm's goal for the tower was “to create a centerpiece for the new CBD that would elicit harmony with the historic capital while proposing aspirational and contemporary architecture".
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KPF, known for its supertall buildings, imagined for the CITIC Tower, a vase-like form, varying from 78-meter-wide at the base to 54-meter-wide at the center and finishing up with 69-meter-wide at the top. The building puts in place a square plan with rounded corners. The tower’s design suitable for China’s greatest seismic zone meets the ground elegantly. Containing the headquarters for CITIC Group and CITIC Bank, the tower also incorporates office spaces and a multipurpose business center.
The lobby’s distinct upward curve mirrors the tower’s fluted, outward drape in the opposite direction, providing a dramatic backdrop to the pedestrian experience. The interior canopy features bespoke aluminum ribbing that follows its curvature and echoes the tower’s elegant façade expression. CITIC Tower anchors the northern end of the city's CBD, forming an iconic backdrop to the park and a prominent new destination for visitors.
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