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Designed by Zaha Hadid Architects under Patrik Schumacher's direction, the high-rise cluster boasts one of the most challenging hyperbolic glass façades of our time. Around 14,000 individually curved insulating glass units form the building's softly flowing, sculptural envelope. Edgetech Europe/Quanex's flexible Super Spacer^® system was used for all the glazing. It was the only system that could implement the complex glass geometries with technical and aesthetic perfection.

Around 40 years ago, Shenzhen was a small fishing village. Today, this city, which has a direct view of Hong Kong across the water, is a megacity with hundreds of skyscrapers, and is a centre of Chinese information technology in the Greater Bay Area in southern China. The 117-hectare 'Shenzhen Bay Super Headquarters Base' development area, located directly on the waterfront, is set to become a highly visible symbol of the region's innovative strength. OPPO, the world's fourth-largest smartphone manufacturer, is building a new 199.75-metre-high headquarters here with around 248,000 square metres of floor space. This space is divided between four interconnected amorphous towers that taper towards the bottom.

Outstanding examples of cutting-edge facade technology include a 41-square-metre hyperbolic façade element weighing over 10.8 tonnes, a 2,000-square-metre specially shaped, double-curved, self-supporting net shell structure of the highest degree of difficulty, and last but not least, the construction of a 240-square-metre hyperbolic dome opening 200 metres above the planned Sky Bar. Naturally, these projects placed extreme demands on structural mechanics, control systems and safety concepts. Far East Façade is responsible for designing and producing the curtain wall for Towers 1 and 2, as well as for the base. CNYD, meanwhile, was awarded the façade contract for Towers 3 and 4.

 

 

When asked why her buildings did not feature 90-degree angles, Zaha Hadid once replied that life is not structured in a grid. People find natural places relaxing, and this effect can also be achieved through architecture. The development of parametric design tools made her vision of transforming organic landscapes into vertical structures possible.

In several publications, Hadid's long-time colleague Schumacher described the demands placed on modern high-rise buildings by our networked society. It is not merely a matter of densification, but of intensifying communication. To create spatial connections and visual openness across multiple levels, the massive core must be dissolved and replaced by navigational spaces that transform the tower into a 'vertical street'.

In the new OPPO headquarters, access to the two office towers via stairs and lifts is decoupled from the structural engineering and relocated to service towers T3 and T4. This creates open floor plans and unobstructed lines of sight within the building and out over Shenzhen Bay, promoting creativity and spontaneous interaction. A 20-storey, light-filled atrium connects the two office towers, allowing visitors to explore the interior as if it were an urban street. At the same time, Zaha Hadid Architects have deliberately used curves to clearly structure the volumes and prevent the visual fragmentation of the spatial units.

 

 

Tianjin North Glass Industrial Technology Co., Ltd. will produce the 70,000 square metres of insulating glass required for the four façades. Of the approximately 14,000 curved panes, 9,000 are highly sophisticated free-form, convex-concave or saddle-shaped insulating glass units. Single-curved panels reach arc lengths of up to 5.4 metres, double-curved panels are up to six metres long and the narrowest bending radius is one metre. Most of the approximately 9,000 flat insulating glass units will also be cold bent on site.

Most of the glazing consists of double‑laminated insulating glass units with four panes, incorporating 16 mm Super Spacer^® TriSeal™ as the spacer system. The laminated lites are based on 10 mm ultra‑clear glass and include functional solar‑control and low‑E coatings, which contribute to considerable thickness and weight and place high demands on the spacer’s structural performance.

Anti-reflective glass is also used in special areas. There are deviations in the safety glazing and in individual special areas. Here, triple-glazed elements with three 12 mm-thick panes or insulating glass with three 8 mm-thick panes are used, with laminated outer panes and monolithic inner panes.

North Glass worked closely with the client, Zaha Hadid Architects, and façade specialists Far East Façade and CNYD on this highly complex project. Together, they conducted a comprehensive review of the visual appearance of the glass façade and implemented the strictest quality controls.

 

 

The decision to use Super Spacer^® was made jointly by the client, architects, façade consultants and contractors. The project features a fully double-curved glass façade with varying glass shapes. Thanks to its flexible material, Super Spacer^® ensures the tightness and thermal properties of the insulating glass and easily adapts to irregular or curved pane shapes, seamlessly supporting the glass curvature. The result is a façade that meets both the functional performance requirements and the high aesthetic standards of the design.

Prior to the start of the project, the compliance of Super Spacer^® with standards was verified by specialised Chinese testing institutes, in addition to existing global certifications. The cold-bent glass was tested on a special platform to evaluate its deformation and tightness when subjected to bending forces.

To refine the technical strategies until all performance requirements were met, North Glass conducted several one-to-one visual mock-up tests between 2020 and 2024. "The result is insulating glass units of outstanding optical quality and precise dimensional accuracy. The entire Edgetech/Quanex family is immensely proud that Super Spacer is playing a part in the history of this unique facade project. World-renowned specialists who set standards in their fields are involved, including Zaha Hadid Architects, North Glass, Far East Façade and the Shenyang Yuanda Group", explains Paul Chen, Marketing & Sales Manager of Super Spacer^®'s Chinese distribution partner, Linkeast International Trading.

 

 

The project placed high demands on the façade construction at every stage: from procuring the curved materials, to bending and processing aluminium and steel components, to coordinating the installation on site using 3D technology. In glass production, critical points included manufacturing oversized, tempered, curved and laminated panes; ensuring curvature tolerances; controlling optical distortions; and minimising rainbow effects. For aluminium bending, each individually shaped profile required custom-made bending tools with tolerances of ±1.5 millimetres. T4-grade aluminium underwent secondary ageing treatment prior to bending to ensure strength.

First, all materials were designed parametrically and converted into LOD 400 precision models. These were then broken down into individual components and made available as STP files. Information was exchanged using AutoCAD, Rhino/Grasshopper and a bespoke design programme.

Tolerance ranges were defined in the early stages of the planning phase, and 3D scans were used to verify the accuracy of the manufactured materials. Prior to assembly, data analysis and reverse modelling were used to simulate real conditions and ensure accuracy. Due to the complex geometries involved, workshops were held with manufacturers, façade consultants, architects and building owners to reach a consensus on formal decisions.

 

 

The feasibility, maximum dimensions and bending radii of the production of curved glass were tested in a two-year research process. Errors and deviations were systematically analysed, responsibilities were clarified, and solutions were evaluated from design and practical perspectives. North Glass developed customised equipment specifically for this project, enabling multi-curved glass to be tempered and improving its quality.

The biggest challenge was ensuring data interoperability, which could only be achieved through the involvement of qualified personnel with the appropriate BIM skills and the right processing and testing technology. "The project also established new standards and workflows, including specifications for double-curved façades, cold bending processes and numerous patented construction techniques that can be applied to future projects", concludes Joachim Stoss VP International Sales Quanex QES.

 

 

Edgetech Europe GmbH, located in Heinsberg, Germany, is a fully owned subsidiary of Quanex Building Products Corporation, a global, publicly traded manufacturing company primarily serving OEMs in the fenestration, cabinetry, solar, refrigeration and outdoor products markets. Edgetech Europe GmbH services markets in continental Europe with a total of 490 employees and 17 extruders. We are "A Part of Something Bigger" by improving the performance and aesthetics of end products through continuous innovation, helping customers achieve greater production efficiencies, and giving back to communities where we operate. Visit quanex.com for more information.