The OPPO Tower is a near-real skyscraper, like almost everything that is projected these days in China. Shaped like an eye or a vertical oval, depending on how you look at it, this building designed by the Danish studio BIG will be the symbol that’ll open the door to the future scientific and technical city of Hangzhou, in the Asian country.

Founded in 2004, OPPO is China’s largest smartphone company. The country’s powerhouse company commissioned BIG architects to build its R&D headquarters in the city of Hangzhou, which is famous not only for its abundance of UNESCO sites but also for its progressive development in the field of technology. In fact, Hangzhou is home to the headquarters of China’s largest conglomerates: Alibaba and NetEase.

However, OPPO will have an excellent location in this tech scene. The so-called ‘O-Tower’ will be located in the heart of the Yuhang district, between the lake, the city center and a 10,000-square-meter park. It will also rise above the main access road, turning the building into the gateway to China’s science and technology city.

A perfect balance between aesthetics and technology

At OPPO’s request, the project developed by BIG will reflect the company’s philosophy, namely the search for the perfect balance between aesthetics and innovative technology. For this reason, the headquarters will be environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable, aside from standing out of the rest of the very modern surrounding structures.

Among the particular details that the ‘O-Tower’ will have, is that even though most of the building is reserved for offices of the company, the first three floors will have extensive space for the development of public programs, as well as an urban living room, workshop spaces, conference centers, a dining room, and a central courtyard with exuberant green landscaping for the public and employees to enjoy.

The articulated spiral-shaped building is a skyscraper designed to reduce energy consumption and express OPPO’s commitment to endless innovation that connects “the earth to the sky in a continuous spiral of collaboration”.

A highly innovative detail of the O-Tower is the fact that its offices will be built around a cylindrical courtyard. The reason behind it? To flood the spaces with natural light throughout the day, and to allow employees to enjoy and be inspired by the panoramic views of the city and the park.

Another significant innovation is the façade of the OPPO building. The same will be equipped with adaptive blinds that’ll change their position according to the angle of the sun’s rays, which will reduce interior heating by 52%, eliminate light pollution, provide significant savings in terms of cooling loads, and offer thermal comfort.

In addition, O-Tower will have terraces at the back that’ll connect several floors of the headquarters, allowing employees to hold informal outdoor meetings.

The upper floors of the tower will include entertainment spaces, executive lounges, and VIP lounges. In addition, all floors of the building integrate workspaces with biophilia and social spaces.

So, OPPO’s R&D headquarters will not only give employees an innovation zone for global technology entrepreneurship but also create a sustainable and vibrant community that’ll become an iconic destination to visit on the Hangzhou waterfront.