AICO's Longfor Hefei Paradise Walk: A New Landmark in Hefei City

Winner of the Silver A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award in 2021

The design of Longfor Hefei Paradise Walk was inspired by the concept of sailing, a nod to Hefei's history as a river harbor city. The building's tower form takes its origin from the shape of a sail, creating a dynamic skyline. The facade design, which refers to the form of boats, metaphorically carries people to happiness. The fish-eye shaped double skin curtain wall with lighting has created a unique city image.

The project takes advantage of Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) comprehensive development. It connects the underground level of Metro line2 in the west, and the ground level of terminal bus station in the east. Internally, the project circulates through three main theme atriums of Ferry, River Valley, and Harbor. Externally, the project creates three roof gardens on different floors.

Aluminum and glass curtain walls are the main materials used in this project. Three dimensionally warped aluminum panels and glass panels are assembled to create the fisheye curtain wall. This unique feature was one of the most challenging design tasks in the project, involving back wall structure, steel purlins, curved color glass, and 3D aluminum covers from the early concept stage to the final implementation stage. On-site testing and lighting experiments were also conducted to ensure the final result.

The project started in April 2016 in Hefei City, China, and was completed in December 2019. The design team included Jun Zhang, Lujiang Xu, Peihong Wu, Hao Zhang, Ruyi Nie, Chen Li, Nan Li, Chong Shen, and Shuang Han. The project has a gross floor area of 248,496.07 sqm, a land area of 53,666.7 sqm, a mall area of 77,974 sqm, a shopping street area of 8,224 sqm, and a total tower area of 73,949 sqm.

Longfor Hefei Paradise Walk was awarded the Silver A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award in 2021. This award is given to top-of-the-line, creative, and professionally remarkable designs that illustrate outstanding expertise and innovation. These designs, admired for their strong technical characteristics and splendid artistic skill, showcase a remarkable level of excellence and introduce positive feelings, amazement, and wonder.