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GICC IS AN EXPRESSION OF THE CULTURAL VALUES OF THE CLIENT. ITS IMAGE FROM THE OUTSIDE IS ONE THAT IS SOLID, CLASSIC, AND INVITING. IT ALLUDES TO THE IDEA OF A COMPANY THAT IS NOT A PASSING TREND, BUT ONE THAT WILL STAND THE TEST OF TIME – JUST AS THE MASS OF ITS BUILDING WILL DO.
GICC was designed as the headquarters for a prominent Chinese publisher. The program called for a bookstore to showcase their publications, a lobby, spec office space, a sky lobby for the publisher, office space for the headquarters, and a sky club. The bookstore is located over the first three levels in a podium that steps towards the shaft of the tower. The tower itself is anchored by a logical and efficient core. The façade is designed to address each of the cardinal directions to meet desired energy performance requirement. This occurs through horizontal fins on the east and west facades. By contrast, the north and south facades emphasize the verticality of the building. The building was further defined by the planning limitations of the city that designated the set back from the street, the integration with the subway, and the height of the building. GICC is an expression of the cultural values of the client. Its image from the outside is one that is solid, classic, and inviting. It alludes to the idea of a company that is not a passing trend, but one that will stand the test of time – just as the mass of its building will do.
The concept for the interior is the logical extension of the building concept. In the same way the buildings is tailored to the idea of a company that is people centered, sober and unique, the interiors respect and integrate the building spaces and architecture, embrace their character, and become a representation of these values in the everyday use of the space. The finishes, configuration, and materials define the light and sound of the space and the way every person in the building will perceive and interact with the space. The majority of the spaces reflect a consistency of materials and overall feel with differentiation occurring in how these spaces are detailed. The exception to this rule occurs with the grand lobby that is given its own character and identity through the use of light-colored stone and a dynamic folded and illuminated large panel system that covers the walls of the core and forms the primary backdrop of the north and south lobbies. The other spaces throughout the building makes use of darker materials and smaller panels. These spaces emphasize the continuation of the horizontal and vertical themes that define the exterior throughout the interior spaces. Throughout the building, soft aluminum mirror finish is used on the columns, the elevator are defined by glass doors, aluminum strips are utilized on the floor of the lobby to visually connect the interior with the exterior.
