A sleek new office complex in Hangzhou is another striking illustration of how the future of the workplace is being reimagined following the disruptive impact of Covid-19. Indoor-outdoor courtyards, multi-level greenery and abundance of open spaces and natural light truly set this twin-tower development apart.

From the moment you step into the dramatic multi-level entrance podium, you can tell this is radical departure from your traditional office lobby. Each level is rotated at different angles to create unique indoor-outdoor spaces, culminating in a podium roof garden which provides a natural bridge between the towers. Cleverly designed by LWK + PARTNERS, the Aoti Vanke Centre houses corporate tenants in one tower and co-working space for start-ups and micro-entrepreneurs in the other.

“The project is an opportunity to rethink the ways we collaborate with one another and connect with the workspace,” says Ferdinand Cheung, director and principal architect of the project. “The pandemic has highlighted the impact the physical environment has on our wellbeing and productivity, so I hope Aoti Vanke Centre creates space for people to take stock and discover what works best for them.”

Located at the heart of Hangzhou’s Qianjiang Century City central business district, Aoti offers plenty of natural ambience and layered greenery throughout the 95,521 square metres of floorspace and is recognised with LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Decorative fins are installed on the tower facades to provide passive shading and minimise glare. Soft landscapes at the rooftop gardens provide shading to reduce solar heat gain, and the tower roofs are capped with trellises to screen off excessive insolation.

With plenty of areas for recreation, meeting friends and relaxed exchanges, not only are the tenants of Aoti encouraged to merge social engagements with work, they can do so amidst leafy surroundings, no matter how high they are in the building. Welcome to the new world of office space!