China Steel Corporation Headquarters

Along with the port city of Kaohsiung located in southern Taiwan, a bundle of four multi-faceted square tubes optimizes its seismic resistance while expressing the aesthetics of strength in steel.

China Steel Corporation Headquarters is a 29-storey corporate tower situated in an area adjacent to the port, where the largest urban development of Kaohsiung from an industrial town to a multi-functional business-trading city is in the works. Upon completion, the area will be home to a variety of functions ranging from logistics, transportation, trading, culture, institution, and recreation – to which the corporate tower will hold an integral role as the new icon of Kaohsiung Port.

Designed by Kris Yao | Artech Architects, the tower is composed of four, distinct square volumes connected by a shared central core. Forming a dynamic geometry to the entire form is the 12.5-degree rotation of each tube, with increments in every eight storeys. These identical facets are then outlined with an exterior mega-bracing of steel latticework that spans every eight storeys, with each interval and tieback opening up to several terraces.

Its unique, diamond-shaped double-skin curtain wall that wraps the tower’s distinct outer skin is designed to optimize natural lighting and ventilation – which minimizes heat-gain, energy consumption, and disruptive traffic noise.

Aside from serving as the headquarters for China Steel Corporation, the tower also houses recreational and transportation facilities towards the pedestrian level. At ground level, the tower settles on a round water pond at the site’s core, while the rest of the site is densely landscaped with trees – offering a comfortable pedestrian experience.

The China Steel Corporation Headquarters with its multi-faceted façade not only sets itself apart from the growing metropolitan skyline of Kaohsiung but also embodies performative technologies towards a more sustainable built environment.