The main headquarters of Giant Interactive Group in Shanghai by Morphosis

In a lonely field on the outskirts of Shanghai, the headquarters of the Giant Interactive Group, focused on online computer games, was established. Yuzhu Shi, the founder of the company, represents a new generation of Chinese entrepreneurs. His face graces the cover of various international lifestyle magazines. Although his company already has offices in several locations in Shanghai, Yuzhu Shi decided to build its main headquarters in the newly emerging industrial zone of Sonjiang on the site of former wetlands, commissioning the California firm Morphosis along with landscape architects SWA. Mayne designed a building that weaves like a snake through the flat landscape filled with water channels. The object is separated by an access road to the new industrial zone. The western part, with a grassy roof, gradually rises from the surrounding meadows and contains a swimming pool, a sports hall, and a hotel for corporate guests. The eastern part, which houses offices, social spaces, a café, and a library, dramatically extends with a 35-meter long cantilever, under which one can look down through a glass floor at the surface of the newly created pond. Thom Mayne adds for the American magazine Architectural Record: “Considering American builders, who are excessively afraid to take risks, this building could hardly come to fruition in our country.” With its grassy roof, pond, and inserted courtyards, Mayne has created a “refined landscape.” However, his goal was not to create a new nature, but rather “everyday chaos reflecting the charm of the moment that we love so much in cities.” Employees of the computer company in Beijing will have the opportunity to enjoy a variety of recreational activities and movement in open spaces. The construction of the complex took two and a half years and symbolizes the tireless energy of China in the 21st century.

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