The Shenzhen Guosen Securities Tower by Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas is a 200 meter tall glazed building with a very predominant zig-zag channel cut into the façade. The void leads the viewer’s eye up through what would have been a boring and flat façade, as lobbies, public spaces, and gardens are arranged on either side of the cut. With the collaboration of Shenzhen General Institute of Architectural Design and Research, the intention of this building was to create a new concept of vertical public space within an iconic tower.
Courtesy of Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas
According to the architects, “The design of the void shape explores the relation between the podium and the vertical section of the tower with diagonal spaces and fluxes that create a vertical tension in the full height of the tower.”
Courtesy of Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas
The idea of a void usually is associated with the lack of something, the unessential part of a building that neither adds or subtracts from the design and is thus removed all together. Here the void is strategically being used to help stream light down into the building, providing more connections to the exterior environment, as well as signal where the activity is occurring in the structure. The building itself is a pure external glass volume, becoming this light and transparent form that simply exists on the site without appearing to have a firm hold to the ground except for the podium structure the main tower rests upon.
Courtesy of Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas
Behind the clean glass facades lies a level of complexity, as the internal network of public spaces and gardens are arranged and placed strategically to take advantage of the views and visibility of the urban context. What makes this project successful is the effortless qualities about the design that keep it clean and distinguished without over powering the site or exploiting the void idea into an architectural gimmick. From the renderings it can be seen that the architect wanted to emphasis the materiality of the glass, where the building begins to become one with its surroundings and disappears into the sky, only adding to the ease and grace of the design.
Project info:
Architects: Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas
Country: China, Shenzhen
Year: 2010
Photographs: Courtesy of Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas
Project name: Guosen Securities Building
Client: Guosen Securities CO. LTD
Architects: Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas
Project team manager: Serena Mignatti
Project team : Giuseppe Zaccaria, Enrico Falchetti, Gabriele Chiaretti
Assistants : Cristina Fernandez, Yinnon Lehrer, Yusuke Nishimura, Manuela Petrucci
Physical Model: Nicola Cabiati (art director), Frauke Stenz, Hilmi Kamil Dalkir
Shenzhen coordinators : Fang Tian, Pablo Garcia
Engineering: Local Architects, Structure: Shenzhen General Institute of Architectural Design and Research
M&E engineering, Sustainability: AI engineering
Site area: 5,454.78 sqm
Above ground: 80,000 sqm
Office: 68,000 sqm
Shops: 12,000 sqm
Height: Tower 200 m, Podium building 15 m
Function Program: Lobby and entrance hall, Headquarter office zone, Standard office, Supporting area (conference area, dining hall, leisure space for employees), Commercial shops space_12,000 sqm_including podium and -1 floor
Property service center , Basement (400 car parking. Max 4 underground levels)
Cost: 800,000,000 RMB
Type: Competition by invitation
Kristin Hoover is an editor at Arch2O and a proud graduate of Virginia Tech. Since joining in July 2014, she has authored over 200 insightful articles covering everything from adaptive reuse and cultural centers to eco-buildings and urban infrastructure . With a passion for architectural storytelling, Kristin skillfully curates and crafts compelling narratives that bring design innovation to life. Her editorial work reflects a broad yet finely honed interest in how architecture intersects with society, technology, and the environment—making her a key voice shaping Arch2O’s explorations of contemporary built form.