Xiamen Eton Center
Xiamen, a southeastern coastal city located approximately halfway between Hong Kong and Shanghai, occupies a large island and surrounding mainland areas. The Eton Properties site — adjacent to the harbor, the CBD, and the main street leading from the water deep into the city — enjoys tremendous views of the sea and nearby historic Gulangyu Island. The project contains a 5-star hotel and ballroom, SOHO (Small Office / Home Office), and retail.
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The design connects the site to the surrounding city fabric, a pedestrian-friendly area with narrow streets. In response, porous retail podiums define a recessed central courtyard and on-site public plazas, which provide places for arrival and public interaction. Two major elements rise vertically above: an 18-story hotel and a 40-story, 210-meter-tall SOHO tower, both curved as if carved by water.
The horizontally proportioned, waterfront hotel maximizes sea views; spanning a high breezeway at ground level, it creates a large entry portal for the hotel lobbies and frames views out towards the sea. The curved SOHO tower, rising slightly inland, also takes advantage of the extraordinary views.
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To introduce urban vitality and a sense of place into Xiamen Eton Center, the retail and hotel/ballroom programs are split amongst the SOHO and hotel buildings, with pedestrian bridges connecting them. These linkages encourage cross-pollination between the two buildings, as shoppers traverse the central courtyard at grade level, and as hotel guests cross at Levels 4 and 5 into the ballroom and meeting spaces in the SOHO building. With the pedestrian bridges fully glazed, the movement is apparent to people on the street and the surrounding buildings, lending a sense of dynamism to the public spaces.
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Additionally, both buildings feature a “thick” façade, which, while simple in concept and construction, operates at high levels of climatic and architectural performance: deep extrusions at the edge of each floor plate not only shade the interior from Xiamen’s strong sunlight but also conceal the A/C condenser units. This strong horizontal banding gives the development its unique visual identity and a presence on the Xiamen skyline. At the same time, it provides a clean architectural solution to the perennial challenge of avoiding the visual clutter of mechanical units on the exterior of residential buildings — even as it decreases the load on those units.
Landscape design is central to creating a sense of urban vitality within the site. At the heart of Xiamen Eton Center, a sunken plaza, surrounded by retail, concentrates activity and creates a dynamic public space.
The southern gateway to the site from the public waterfront park across the street, this lofty space provides a grand gesture for the hotel entry.
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This large plaza provides a welcoming, semi-private space for ballroom- and conference hall-goers to gather. Above, a two-story sweep of glass identifies the ballroom prefunction area.
With outdoor space on the hotel roof overlooking the harbor and additional landscaping at ground level, the project creates a welcoming destination to draw people to the site.
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Project Info
Architects: NBBJ
Location: Xiamen, China
Size: 210,000 SM
Height: 40 stories
Type: Mixed use, Hotel, Retail, Offices
