Citychamp Dartong Plaza: A New Era of Office Design

NDA Group's Innovative Design Blends Tradition with Modern Workforce Needs

The design of Citychamp Dartong Plaza draws inspiration from the local Fujian Tulou, a traditional building typology featuring a circular layout centered around a courtyard. This layout fosters community and protection. The vertical rhythm of the main facades, reminiscent of a wooden ship's hull, pays tribute to Fuzhou's shipbuilding tradition, a significant part of the city's economic and cultural landscape.

Citychamp Dartong Plaza is more than an office space. It is a hub that adapts to the shifting work habits across Mainland China and the world. As China transitions from the world's "factory" to its "digital innovation hub", this project goes beyond providing efficient working areas. It aims to create a healthy and ecological community for the new workforce generation, a community that breeds innovation.

The building's green features shape its volumes. Generous green atriums concentrate the circulations inside, while a complex system of cantilevered terraces outside create sheltered spaces that minimize energy losses. These terraces allow building users to move around the building during extreme weather conditions, showcasing the best ecological practices.

The building's organization invites interaction and community building on its extensive green outdoor terraces. These spaces can be used for impromptu meetings or large corporate events. The ground floor houses F&B and retail spaces, catering to the needs of the millennial workforce, from creative working spaces to easily accessible facilities such as cafes, banks, and gyms.

The project, located in the bustling manufacturing hub of Fuzhou in Southern China's Fujian province, is nearing completion in 2020. It won the masterplanning & architecture design competition in 2014. The design team, led by Emmanuel Delarue, faced the challenge of creating an urban landmark that combines local traditions with a façade reminiscent of a wooden ship’s hull. The result is a building that creates opportunities for sustainable technologies and fosters public space.

Citychamp Dartong Plaza was awarded the Golden A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award in 2021. This award is granted to marvelous, outstanding, and trendsetting creations that reflect the designer's prodigy and wisdom. They are venerated products and bright ideas that advance art, science, design, and technology, embodying extraordinary excellence and significantly impacting the world with their desirable characteristics.