Linked Hybrid

2003–2009 | Beijing CHINA

Client Modern Group
Architect Steven Holl Architects
Consulting Structural Engineer Guy Nordenson and Associates
Engineer of Record China Academy of Building Research
Awards 2019 CTBUH 2019 Award of Excellence 10 Years Award Category; 2010 Architectural Record China "Good Design is Good Business" Award Best Residential Project; 2009 CTBUH Best Tall Building Overall Award, and Best Tall Building in Asia and Australia; 2008 NY AIA Sustainable Design Award; 2006 Popular Science Engineering Award for Largest Geothermal Housing Complex

Linked Hybrid is a housing development for 750 apartments and a small hotel in eight interconnected towers. The towers are grouped around a central public space with a kindergarten, theater and large reflecting pool. The buildings are about 30m by 30m in plan, with concrete flat slabs spanning between concrete shear walls and a perimeter concrete moment frame. The frame is a grid of uniform dimension interspersed with diagonal members wherever required for cantilevers, overhangs and overall stiffness. The buildings are linked by steel truss bridges placed in a special “friction pendulum isolator,” completely isolated from the tower building movements. In an earthquake, the bridges will move up to 40cm relative to the buildings, sparing them and the buildings of the effects of lateral forces.