Zhonguo Zun, or “Z15” tower is about to rise in Beijing

There is a competition going on in the world of arhitecture, the super tall towers. Competition is especially strong between towers in Chinese cities, and compared with Shanghai and Shenzhen, Beijing seemed to stay behind with towers “only” 300 meters high when others are struggling to buid their 600 meters high towers.


So far, the three highest towers in Beijing, are the China Wolrld Trade Center III tower, the high rise building of Guomao, that peaks at 330 meters, the second one is the Fortune Plaza tower, with 250 meters of height and the third one is 250 meters high as well, the highest tower of the Yintai Center called the Park tower. The Beijing CBD is still being planned, with dozens of high rise towers still to be built, as well as a new extension in Wangjing, and some iconic ones such as the CCTV tower with its strange shape that was a challenge for the building teams.


Next to this CCTV tower, something high is going on. A new tower is being built, inside a large project called the CITIC Plaza that will feature 15 towers. The superstar of this project is the tower number 15, the Z15 that has a more poetic name, the Zhonguo Zun.


Zun is the name of an ancient Chinese vessel, with an elegant shape with a large opening at the top, and indeed the new Z15 tower has an elegant shape, curved, that maximalizes the surface at the top and the base. This allows the tower to be very stable at the base, while reducing the “wind load” of the buiding.


The Z15 Tower will be 528 meters high, and is under the responsibility of artcitects TP Farrels, master designers in the project are Gavin Erasmus and Stefan Krummeck, more details about the people involved and the structure engineers here. The Farells project have been distinguished among the 60 competitors for the project.


This represents 120 floors, so far there should be 60 floors of Grade A office space, 20 floors of serviced apartments and 20 floors of a six star hotel. High end retail space will be included inside the CITIC Plaza.


The total surface area inside the tower is 300.000 sqaure meters and it will feature spectacular views on Beijing and the tower will certainy be an iconic landmark in Beijing.


The whole CITIC Plaza project should be a nice place to spend time in Beijing, since the Zun vessel in culture Chinese symbolizes common goodwill, the place is designed to be welcoming and warm, a place you have a comfortable leisure time.


The architects put the stress on the sustainability of the whole project and the laest developments in technology will be used to dismisish the environmantal impact of the tower and its carbon consumotion, as it is currently an important issue in Beijing.


A subway station will give direct access to the tower.