Rich in history and dotted with breath-taking natural sceneries, Chengdu, the Capital of Sichuan province, lies in the heartland 1000 miles to the east from the ocean in western China. Lying in the basin plain, the relatively flat area of central Chengdu is a stone throw away to the mountain ranges that stretch another 1000 miles, this time to the west, all the way to the Himalayas.
This 160m high headquarters building in downtown Chengdu for a local property developer is conceived as a mountain range rising from the plains. Itself a landmark, the tower also marks the gateway between the vast Chinese plains and the mountainous mid-Asia. The rugged curtain wall, seemingly in a random fashion, doubles as vertical fins to screen the harsh western sun while protected balconies and pocket alcoves are created. A vertical slit through the building separates the office and hotel function while reducing the massiveness of the whole entity, only to be reconnected at the top by a swimming pool. At street level this 'mountain' is folded up, in the fashion and spirit of a grotto, through which people enter to the lobby, exhibition areas, restaurants, and an immense covered plaza.