OMA creates a glass prism for the Chinese city of Hangzhou

The Dutch practice OMA has just started construction of the Xinhu Hangzhou Prism, due to open in 2020. The Chinese city has a particular fondness for iconic buildings: in 2011, another Dutch practice, MVRDV, won the commission for the Museum of Comics and Animation. MVRDV's cultural project, however, is still a long way from completion!

Context and site of the Xinhu Hangzhou Prism

Hangzhou lies 200 km south-west of Shanghai and is renowned for its economic activity, particularly in technology. It is home to the giant Alibaba, as well as NetEase, the Chinese search engine. In terms of population, the city has more than 9 million inhabitants, while its metropolitan area has 21 million, making it the fourth-largest urban area in China.

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The Xinhu Hangzhou Prism sits within the future Technology Central Business District, a business district reserved for the digital economy.

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OMA's architectural composition

OMA architects Chris van Duijn and Michalis Hadjistyllis opted for two radical oblique cuts to create balconies on both sides of the building. The angularity of the cuts also maximises views, while overlooking is minimised by the pixelated treatment of the building envelope.

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The project totals 50,000 m², and includes a hotel, retail space, lofts and a monumental atrium. A 35,000 m² residential tower will be added to this iconic building.