Project
A Canal
Runs Through It
Suning Ruicheng
Nanjing, China
Fertile
Crescent
The explosive growth of Suning, China’s leading electronics and home-appliance provider, required a new headquarters to integrate this large, multidivisional organization.
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The offices, training center, R&D labs, retail, hotel, and corporate apartments fill seven office wings and the high-rise tower, linked by two crescent-shaped buildings and a sunken courtyard.
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The crescents, 180 meters in length with 20-meter-high ceilings, are glazed to admit maximum daylight.
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Vertical and horizontal louvers shade the facade to reduce heat gain.
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These central circulation zones connect the various divisions, creating a unified campus that helps the organization envision and realize a comprehensive business strategy.
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The double-skin glazed curtain wall provides an additional measure of protection from solar heat gain – as well as simplifies cleaning.
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One month after opening, Suning launched a nationwide search for top-level talent, and the new headquarters was a major selling point in recruiting.
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Founded in 1990, Suning is China’s leading provider of electronics and home appliances, with 1,342 stores, 120,000 employees, and annual sales in excess of 100 billion RMB. The company’s remarkable growth required a new headquarters that would bring unity to this large, multidivisional organization.
Located east of Zijin Mountain and only five kilometers from downtown Nanjing, the campus includes a high-rise headquarters office, training center, R&D labs, real estate offices, and retail, as well as a five-star hotel and a long-stay facility for visiting associates. These programs occupy seven office wings and the high-rise tower, linked by two arcing, crescent-shaped buildings and a sunken courtyard at the center.
The crescent-shaped buildings, 180 meters in length with 20-meter-high ceilings, are glazed to admit maximum daylight, with vertical and horizontal sunshades that reduce heat gain. These central circulation zones connect the various divisions, creating a unified campus that helps the organization envision and realize a comprehensive business strategy.
In April of 2011, one month after moving into its new headquarters, Suning launched a nationwide recruiting program targeting high-level employees from Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, and the headquarters was a major selling point in the recruitment efforts.
Lighting Design
The lighting design uses various patterns, decorative detailing, daylight, contrasting luminous forms, and a hierarchy of elements to demonstrate Suning’s meticulous attention to detail. Low-maintenance, energy-efficient sources and controls simplify the work of facilities personnel and conserve energy.
Suning.com
NBBJ is currently designing the headquarters for Suning.com, an online consumer division. The Suning.com building, located at the head of the existing campus, will wrap a courtyard that facilitates the formation of a stronger corporate culture. Once completed, it will include a central plaza, conference center, film studio and exhibition hall, with expected accommodations for up to 5,000 people.
A connected campus: Suning.com (left) and Suning headquarters (right).
Publications
Economic Observer, “NBBJ’s Business in China,” September 2013
