TP-Link LXD Landscape Ribbon, China
Designed by architecture studio KPF, TP-Link LXD contains 124,600-square-metres of offices, research and development spaces and housing in three towers. The desire to create shared, open green spaces on a compact site led to the studio connecting these three towers with a one-kilometer-long "landscape ribbon" around their perimeter, which combines circulation, meeting areas, planting and even sports courts into a single gesture. The three volumes of TP-Link LXD comprise two larger office towers and a smaller residential tower, which are clad with a mixture of full-height glazing and perforated metal panels.
The user's journey unfolds as a progression of spaces rather than a fixed path. Spaces expand and compress, alternating between active and quiet, social, and solitary. The ribbon thickens to host meeting terraces, dining areas, and recreation zones, including full and half basketball courts, then narrows to moments of climbing and pause, framing light, air, and long views of Shenzhen and the city's terrain. The external route was designed to foster interaction between the different levels and towers, encouraging spontaneous meetings with a variety of seating and planting areas as well as dedicated spaces for gatherings and recreational activities.
The ribbon structure adopts steel beams integrated with concrete slabs, enabling long spans, cantilevers, and efficient construction while supporting landscape loads and people activities. A band of textured stone cladding follows the course of the ribbon as it passes the sides of the towers, and its floor was also finished with stone paving to create a sense of continuity with the ground level.
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