524
Global
Height rank

Tencent Seafront Tower 1

Shenzhen
Height 245.8 m / 806 ft
Floors 50
Official Name
The current legal building name.

Tencent Seafront Tower 1

Other Names
Other names the building has commonly been known as, including former names, common informal names, local names, etc.

Tencent Binhai Building

Name of Complex
A complex is a group of buildings which are designed and built as pieces of a greater development.

Tencent Seafront Towers

Type
CTBUH collects data on two major types of tall structures: 'Buildings' and 'Telecommunications / Observation Towers.' A 'Building' is a structure where at least 50% of the height is occupied by usable floor area. A 'Telecommunications / Observation Tower' is a structure where less than 50% of the structure's height is occupied by usable floor area. Only 'Buildings' are eligible for the CTBUH 'Tallest Buildings' lists.

Building

Status
Completed
Architecturally Topped Out
Structurally Topped Out
Under Construction
Proposed
On Hold
Never Completed
Vision
Competition Entry
Canceled
Proposed Renovation
Under Renovation
Renovated
Under Demolition
Demolished

Completed, 2017

Country
The CTBUH follows the United Nations's definition of Country, and thus uses the lists and codes established by that organization.

China

City
The CTBUH follows the United Nations's definition of City, and thus uses the lists and codes established by that organization.

Shenzhen

Postal Code

518000

Function
A single-function tall building is defined as one where 85% or more of its usable floor area is dedicated to a single usage. Thus a building with 90% office floor area would be said to be an "office" building, irrespective of other minor functions it may also contain.

A mixed-use tall building contains two or more functions (or uses), where each of the functions occupy a significant proportion of the tower's total space. Support areas such as car parks and mechanical plant space do not constitute mixed-use functions. Functions are denoted on CTBUH "Tallest Building" lists in descending order, e.g., "hotel/office" indicates hotel function above office function.

office

Structural Material
Steel
Both the main vertical/lateral structural elements and the floor spanning systems are constructed from steel. Note that a building of steel construction with a floor system of concrete planks or concrete slab on top of steel beams is still considered a “steel” structure as the concrete elements are not acting as the primary structure.

Reinforced Concrete
Both the main vertical/lateral structural elements and the floor spanning systems are constructed from concrete which has been cast in place and utilizes steel reinforcement bars.

Precast Concrete
Both the main vertical/lateral structural elements and the floor spanning system are constructed from steel reinforced concrete which has been precast as individual components and assembled together on-site.

Mixed-Structure
Utilizes distinct systems (e.g. steel, concrete, timber), one on top of the other. For example, a steel/concrete indicates a steel structural system located on top of a concrete structural system, with the opposite true of concrete/steel.

Composite
A combination of materials (e.g. steel, concrete, timber) are used together in the main structural elements. Examples include buildings which utilize: steel columns with a floor system of reinforced concrete beams; a steel frame system with a concrete core; concrete-encased steel columns; concrete-filled steel tubes; etc. Where known, the CTBUH database breaks out the materials used in a composite building’s core, columns, and floor spanning separately.

composite

Core
Reinforced Concrete
Columns
Concrete Encased Steel
Floor Spanning
Steel
Energy Label

LEED GOLD, Green Star 2

Height
Architectural
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the architectural top of the building, including spires, but not including antennae, signage, flag poles or other functional-technical equipment. This measurement is the most widely utilized and is employed to define the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) rankings of the "World's Tallest Buildings."

245.8 m / 806 ft

To Tip
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the highest point of the building, irrespective of material or function of the highest element (i.e., including antennae, flagpoles, signage and other functional-technical equipment).
245.8 m / 806 ft
Occupied
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the highest occupied floor within the building.
231.4 m / 759 ft
Floors Above Ground
The number of floors above ground should include the ground floor level and be the number of main floors above ground, including any significant mezzanine floors and major mechanical plant floors. Mechanical mezzanines should not be included if they have a significantly smaller floor area than the major floors below. Similarly, mechanical penthouses or plant rooms protruding above the general roof area should not be counted. Note: CTBUH floor counts may differ from published accounts, as it is common in some regions of the world for certain floor levels not to be included (e.g., the level 4, 14, 24, etc. in Hong Kong).

50

Floors Below Ground
The number of floors below ground should include all major floors located below the ground floor level.

4

# of Parking Spaces
Number of Parking Spaces refers to the total number of car parking spaces contained within a particular building.

925

# of Elevators
Number of Elevators refers to the total number of elevator cars (not shafts) contained within a particular building (including public, private and freight elevators).

77

Top Elevator Speed
Top Elevator Speed refers to the top speed capable of being achieved by an elevator within a particular building, measured in meters per second.

6 m/s

Rankings
#
524
Tallest in the World
#
329
Tallest in Asia
#
35
Tallest in Shenzhen
#
218
Tallest Office Building in the World
#
144
Tallest Office Building in Asia
#
124
Tallest Office Building in China
#
22
Tallest Office Building in Shenzhen
#
229
Tallest Composite Building in the World
#
194
Tallest Composite Building in Asia
#
181
Tallest Composite Building in China
#
29
Tallest Composite Building in Shenzhen
Architect
Design

Usually involved in the front end design, with a "typical" condition being that of a leadership role through either Schematic Design or Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.

MEP Engineer
Design

The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.

Other Consultant

Other Consultant refers to other organizations which provided significant consultation services for a building project (e.g. wind consultants, environmental consultants, fire and life safety consultants, etc).

Façade

These are firms that consult on the design of a building's façade. May often be referred to as "Cladding," "Envelope," "Exterior Wall," or "Curtain Wall" Consultant, however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Façade Consultant" exclusively.

Interiors
Landscape
Traffic
Wind
Material Supplier

Material Supplier refers to organizations which supplied significant systems/materials for a building project (e.g. elevator suppliers, facade suppliers, etc).

Elevator
Owner/Developer
Tencent Technology Company Limited
Architect
Design

Usually involved in the front end design, with a "typical" condition being that of a leadership role through either Schematic Design or Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.

NBBJ; Tongji Architectural Design (Group) Co., Ltd.; Shenzhen Tongji Architects
Structural Engineer
Design

The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.

AECOM; Tongji Architectural Design (Group) Co., Ltd.; Shenzhen Tongji Architects
MEP Engineer
Design

The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.

Shenzhen Tongji Architects; Tongji Architectural Design (Group) Co., Ltd.; WSP Group
Main Contractor

The main contractor is the supervisory contractor of all construction work on a project, management of sub-contractors and vendors, etc. May be referred to as "Construction Manager," however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Main Contractor" exclusively.

China Construction Second Engineering Bureau Ltd.
Other Consultant

Other Consultant refers to other organizations which provided significant consultation services for a building project (e.g. wind consultants, environmental consultants, fire and life safety consultants, etc).

Façade

These are firms that consult on the design of a building's façade. May often be referred to as "Cladding," "Envelope," "Exterior Wall," or "Curtain Wall" Consultant, however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Façade Consultant" exclusively.

Interiors
Landscape
LEED
Atkins; Atkins
Traffic
Wind
Material Supplier

Material Supplier refers to organizations which supplied significant systems/materials for a building project (e.g. elevator suppliers, facade suppliers, etc).

Ceiling
Armstrong Ceiling Solutions
Elevator

CTBUH Awards & Distinctions

Best Tall Building Asia & Australasia 2018 Award of Excellence

2018 CTBUH Awards

CTBUH Initiatives

CTBUH Study Examines Tallest Buildings with Dampers

22 August 2018 - CTBUH Research

CTBUH Releases Journal 2018 Issue II

26 April 2018 - CTBUH News

Videos

31 May 2018 | Shenzhen

Linked-Up Thinking Drives the Design of a Tech Company’s Headquarters

The Tencent Seafront Towers were constructed in a special zone of Shenzhen, the Software Industry Base. The project represents a new vision of the workplace,...

Research

30 April 2018

Taking the Corporate Campus Vertical

Jonathan Ward, NBBJ; Jiemin Ding, TJAD; Tim Etherington, Gensler

The Tencent Seafront Towers bring a novel concept – the “vertical campus” – to Shenzhen. In housing the corporate headquarters of the fourth-largest internet company...

About Tencent Seafront Tower 1

Established as a corporate headquarters, the design process began by adapting the concept of a suburban corporate campus for a vertical urban setting. Rather than the typical process of placing all of the company space is one tower, the plan incorporates two towers connected at three different locations allowing for an easy flow through the work spaces while providing for the accommodations of an additional 12,000 employees anticipated through future growth.

The total space the company was seeking was split into two pieces, with the orientation of the towers maximizing passive energy efficiency in the hot and humid climate of southern China. Through a slight rotation of the towers and staggering of the heights to maximize shading, energy consumption was reduced by 30 percent compared to a typical office tower. In addition to the reduction of solar heat gain and glare, the placement of the towers also maximized use of the prevailing winds to naturally ventilate multiple atriums spread throughout the towers. A modular system of fins covers the façades with an optimal orientation to filter sunlight from each direction. Additional strategies then reduce energy consumption an additional 10 percent.

The company wanted to include a number of public features and employee amenities into their vertical campus and these elements were then placed within the multi-story connections linking the towers, not only improving circulation within the structures, but also serving as meeting places which bring the employees together. The first connection is located at ground level, forming a podium base designed around a cultural theme includes public spaces such as an exposition hall and a company museum beside employee dining facilities. The second connection is a multi-story bridge designed as a health and fitness center while the third and uppermost connection features a bridge with a knowledge theme incorporating meeting rooms along with a company university and library.

The connections between the staggered towers enhance the uniqueness of the design and assists in making this corporate headquarters an easily identifiable feature on the cityscape of western Shenzhen.

CTBUH Awards & Distinctions

Best Tall Building Asia & Australasia 2018 Award of Excellence

2018 CTBUH Awards

31 May 2018 | Shenzhen

Linked-Up Thinking Drives the Design of a Tech Company’s Headquarters

The Tencent Seafront Towers were constructed in a special zone of Shenzhen, the Software Industry Base. The project represents a new vision of the workplace,...

18 October 2016 | Shenzhen

CTBUH Video Interview – Jonathan Ward

Jonathan Ward of NBBJ is interviewed by Chris Bentley during the 2016 CTBUH China Conference. Johnathan discusses the design process behind the Tencent Seafront Towers...

18 October 2016 | Shenzhen

The Impact of Tech Companies in Rethinking the High-Rise Workplace

While tech companies have traditionally located in suburbia due to lower property costs and the perceived security of intellectual property, they are now increasingly investing...

17 October 2016 | Shenzhen

CTBUH Video Interview – Chao (Ivan) Wan

Chao (Ivan) Wan of Tencent Holdings Limited is interviewed by Chris Bentley during the 2016 CTBUH China Conference. Ivan discusses the design process for Tencent...

16 October 2016 | Shenzhen

CTBUH Video Interview – Moira Moser

Moira Moser of M Moser Associates is interviewed by Chris Bentley during the 2016 CTBUH China Conference. Moira discusses the planning of modern work spaces...

26 October 2015 | Shenzhen

How New Generations, Industries and Workplace Paradigms Are Redefining the Commercial High-Rise

This presentation will provide a data-driven analysis of building performance from three eras: the early 1900s, mid-twentieth century, and today. This longitudinal analysis will illustrate...

20 September 2012 | Shenzhen

The Synergy Tower: A New Typology for a Sustainable Future

As the pressures of global urbanization and climate change continue to grow, dense high-rise development is increasingly viewed as a key tool for forging a...

30 April 2018

Taking the Corporate Campus Vertical

Jonathan Ward, NBBJ; Jiemin Ding, TJAD; Tim Etherington, Gensler

The Tencent Seafront Towers bring a novel concept – the “vertical campus” – to Shenzhen. In housing the corporate headquarters of the fourth-largest internet company...

27 April 2018

Debating Tall: Landscrapers vs. Skyscrapers

Amy Webb, New York University; Julian Chen, Henning Larsen Architects

What does the office of the future look like? The leading tech industry giants all seem to agree the main goal is “connectivity” that forges...

01 March 2018

Designing the High-Rise Building from the Inside/Out

Timothy Johnson & Jonathan Ward, NBBJ

For over 100 years, the tall building has largely advanced in technological innovation; however very little has been done in the terms of understanding the...

17 October 2016

Cities to Megacities: Perspectives

CTBUH 2016 Conference Speakers

The CTBUH 2016 International Conference is being held in the three cities of the Pearl River Delta, the world’s largest “megacity,” projected to have 120...

17 October 2016

Tencent Seafront Tower – A Case Study on Façade Engineering as Functional Patterns

CK Dickson Wong, Hugh Brennand & Vincent Ng

A methodology that façade engineers commonly use to understand and detail a façade element is to break it down into “functional patterns” – principles that...

17 October 2016

Tencent Seafront Tower: Practice on Binding Buildings

Ping Sun, Shenzhen Tongji Architects

This paper compares the differences between a binding building and a link building, defining the concept of a “Binding Building.” It analyzes the architectural and...

17 October 2016

The Impact of Tech Companies in Rethinking the High-Rise Workplace

Jonathan Ward, NBBJ; Chao (Ivan) Wan, Tencent

Tencent, one of the world’s largest internet companies, is creating a high-rise headquarters in Shenzhen, China that overcomes the challenges of the traditional tall building....

22 August 2018

CTBUH Study Examines Tallest Buildings with Dampers

CTBUH has released a Tall Buildings in Numbers (TBIN) interactive data study on the world's tallest buildings with dampers.

26 April 2018

CTBUH Releases Journal 2018 Issue II

In the latest CTBUH Journal, examine a case study of Tencent Seafront Towers, Shenzhen's "vertical campus", in addition to other great features