Maike Centre
Designing a landmark in the city of Xi’an
PROJECT HISTORY
The challenge
Classic high-rise buildings compete for the tallest and biggest titles but often lack the authentic character of a place to be truly iconic.
The solution
Our design focuses on creating a pedestrian-friendly open space network that acts as a unique destination in the center of the city.
The impact
The Maike Centre has gone beyond accomplishing its initial intent of becoming an icon, providing unparalleled views of the city.
215,000 sq m
gross floor area
5-star
Grand Hyatt Hotel
The challenge
All around the world, cities, businesses, and builders continue to compete for the tallest and the biggest of the new icons that shape the identity of a city and the companies behind it. However, we find the structures that reflect the authentic character of a place, and its culture are often neither the tallest nor the biggest building but the ones that assume their iconic stature by design. We endeavored to instill a “timeless elegance” in the design plan for the Xi’an Maike Centre, creating a memorable and identifiable exterior.
The solution
The Xi’an Maike Centre is a vibrant, mixed-use destination featuring anchor retail, an office tower, and the five-star Grand Hyatt Xi’an hotel. The design team instilled a sense of timeless elegance, establishing it as a gateway and celebratory landmark of the city of Xi’an. The scale and unique geometry of the ribbon strip and the bridge between the dual towers create an impressive silhouette that can be seen from many vantage points within the new district. The destination is a visual embodiment of the Maike brand combined with a sense of local authenticity inspired by Xi’an’s cultural context. The Grand Hyatt and Maike Centre in Xi’an was awarded as one of the best tall buildings in the 200–299-meter category by the Center for Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH).
The design concept began with a vision of creating timeless, place-defining architecture within the historic city of Xi’an. The building’s design is based on three core concepts: to become a celebratory marker for the client and for the new city center, to contribute to the neighborhood by creating a pedestrian-friendly open space network, and to become a vibrant, unique destination.
Highlights of the design include the three-level sky bridge, which contains a collection of restaurants and entertainment venues where hotel guests, office workers and shoppers can relax and take in the views of the vibrant city, the private dining villas atop the podium overlooking the park, and the unique oval-shaped ballroom with a glass wall with views of the urban neighborhood. All contribute to creating a new landmark experience.
The impact
As the oldest of China’s Four Great Ancient Capitals, starting point of the legendary Silk Road, and home to the Terracotta Army, Xi’an holds great historic significance. The Maike Centre has gone beyond accomplishing its initial intent of becoming an icon, providing unparalleled views to tourists and residents and reflecting the city’s transformation. The resulting architecture blends an embodiment of the Maike Group and Grand Hyatt brands with a local authenticity.
