Masterplan, Architectural design
Complexes, Offices, Commercial, Leisure
Alibaba
450,000 m2
This is our fourth collaboration with Alibaba. Now that we’ve developed an established partnership, Alibaba has given us the opportunity to break the mould of homogeneity for comprehensive urban projects. There are a number of factors to be considered throughout the design process: How should we respond to the stringent requirements of a headquarters project? How can we integrate Alibaba’s well-established corporate identity? How can we make use of big data rather than simply relying on experience to draw conclusions? How can we ensure the project’s viability for future generations? To formulate a precise response, we must consider each of these factors in tandem.
The Alibaba Central China Headquarters & Industrial Community brings together various elements of Alibaba’s business, including economy, industrial ecology and new retail. Based on in-depth research of Alibaba’s corporate culture and the interaction between offices and businesses, Benoy formulated the AliCampus concept. The project not only introduces new concepts to traditional commerce, but also creates further creative space for challenges, iterations, resilience and resolutions. This helps to cater for future, young customers, and injects some vitality into a comprehensive urban project, which are usually highly homogeneous. The project has a floor area of approximately 300,000 square meters. Two Alibaba ecological office towers with heights of 280 meters and 190 meters respectively and a total area of 210,000 square meters are planned for construction along with a new retail business hub that has an area of 90,000 square meters. The project is set to implement Alibaba’s Digital Twin industry concepts, drive the transformation of offline businesses, and enhance Alibaba’s influence in Central China.
