The C&D complex sits on the most prominent location of the future central business district of Xiamen. Situated immediately in front of the coastline, the complex enjoys a direct connection with the seashore. The building masses are arranged in an open block formation, revealing views to the sea for the sites beyond, and forming a pedestrian network between the building masses. The sunken retail arcade opens up to a central plaza surrounded by the buildings, bringing in natural light and ventilation to the vast underground pedestrian network which connects to nearby commercial activities, while helping pedestrians reach the promenade along the coastline. This multi-level pedestrian network also acts as main axis of the site, dividing the 200-meter-long site into more easily accessible zones.

The complex consists of a 49-story main office tower, a seven-story podium shopping mall connected with a link to the tower at its upper floors, and two freestanding store buildings. The office tower will be the headquarters of the C&D Group, a shipbuilding company and the largest enterprise in Fujian province.

The iconic building form represents the enterprise with efficient internal spaces as the first priority in the design consideration. The architectural design of the main tower breaks from the tradition of regular rectangular forms. By tapering at both ends the tower’s sculptural form is exaggerated while creating more open space at the ground floor in the tight rectilinear site. The multifaceted elevations also break down the mass of the skyscraper volume, harmonizing its relationship with the attached shopping mall form. The striking sculptural geometry of the tower is realized without compromising regular floor plans, as the core walls are angled in plan to be parallel to the angles of the façade.

A passive solar design principle was adopted as the main strategy throughout the building design process. The project site is rectangular in shape, with its long edges running north to south, thus exposing most of the building façade to the east and west sunlight.

The east- and west-facing façades of the tower and podium are equipped with vertical fins to help shade the building from direct sunlight. All insulated glass unit (IGU) panels are low-E-coated to minimize energy loss for the interior space while allowing maximum natural daylight penetration. Operable windows provide natural ventilation and limit dependence on mechanical air-conditioning. Clear floor to ceiling height was maximized to allow optimal daylight penetration deep into the floor plate. These moves helped earn the building LEED Gold certification.