Hangzhou Smart Xintiandi Innovation Center

The Smart New World Innovation Center sits in Hangzhou's high-tech zone on the north bank of the Qiantang River beside Zhijiang Bridge, combining commerce, business office and incubation functions for high-tech and strategic emerging industries. The unique location and the talent it will attract demand a workplace different from conventional offices. The modular strategy responds to a riverside site where built-up context already stands opposite distant mountains; the absence of greenery in the city suggested introducing nature by simulating a mountain. Pixelating the volume produces multiple terraces, creating a climbable, pausable landscape like a natural hill. Two independent high-rise towers accommodate different companies, offset forward and back so that entry and riverfront plazas form naturally. Stacked like a mountain, the towers step back from the center upward, maximizing distance between them and minimizing mutual interference. Influenced by the expressway and planned high-rises nearby, the setbacks further interlock, while rooftop gardens and shared viewing platforms carry greenery from the river into the buildings. Because high-tech industry evolves unpredictably, the design allows flexible growth over time, balancing efficiency, landscape and the informal collaboration that innovation requires.