Plans for Tencent’s new 500,000 m² headquarters unveiled

The winning design for Tencent’s new 500,000 m² headquarters was unveiled on Thursday, December 7, following an international design competition.

Tencent is a Chinese tech giant which was founded in 1998 and is currently the country’s most valuable publicly traded company.

Its new headquarters are going to be located in a new “future city” in Shenzhen, China.

The new district is going to be located on a plot of land reclaimed from the Pearl River, while it is going to be largely car-free and have a size comparable to Midtown Manhattan.

As for the new headquarters, named Tencent Helix, they are going to comprise a swirling four-tower structure that is going to be almost double the size of Apple Park in California, with the tallest tower standing 153 m high.

Moreover, Tencent Helix is scheduled to accommodate over 23,000 employees within its four towers, while the lower floors are going to be interconnected via a large lobby.

The lower floor area is also planned to feature sports, fitness, recreational and educational facilities, as well as shops and restaurants on the ground floor.

As for the central space between the towers, an open area called the “Vortex Incubator” is going to be featured.

In terms of sustainability, the structure has been oriented to account for natural ventilation, while rainwater is going to be captured and reused for irrigation. Finally, the design also included water absorption mechanisms that can help against storm surges.

Tencent Helix is planned for completion in 2028, marking the company’s 30^th anniversary, and CNN has exclusively unveiled renderings of the project.