?leeza SOHO tower?, designed by zaha hadid architects (ZHA), has opened in china with the world?s tallest atrium. the project ? previously featured on designboom here ? anchors beijing?s new fengtai business district ? a growing financial and transport hub between the city center and the recently opened international airport to the south. the new district is integral to the chinese capital?s multi-modal urban plan to accommodate growth without impacting existing infrastructure networks in the center of the city. as part of the masterplan, the 45-storey 172,800 square meter tower provides small and medium-sized businesses with flexible and efficient grade A office space.

all images © hufton + crow
 
 
?adjacent to the business district?s rail station at the intersection of five new lines currently under construction on beijing?s subway network, leeza SOHO?s site is diagonally dissected by an underground subway service tunnel,? explains ZHA. ?straddling this tunnel, the tower?s design divides its volume into two halves enclosed by a single facade shell. the emerging space between these two halves extends the full height of the tower, creating the world?s tallest atrium at 194.15m which rotates through the building as the tower rises to realign the upper floors with lize road to the north.?
 
 
this rotation of the atrium intertwines the two halves of the tower, while connecting skybridges on levels 13, 24, 35, and 45 traverse the dramatic void. the atrium has been des...