The unique building is located in the business district of Fengtai, not far from the very center of Beijing, China.
The 45-storey skyscraper, 207 meters high, was commissioned by Chinese developer Soho China, which already owns landmark buildings such as Galaxy Soho and Wangjing Soho. The new building, with a total area of 172,800 thousand square meters, will house many class A offices and luxury stores. Plus a huge bike parking lot with 2,680 parking spaces.
The building is located above a subway tunnel, so its creators had to go to great lengths to lighten the center of the structure. The result was the division of the skyscraper into two halves, which led to the formation of a giant atrium in its center. This atrium runs the full height of the building and is 194 meters high, making it the tallest atrium in the world. Prior to this, the record belonged to the Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai (182 meters). On the 13th, 24th, 35th and 45th floors, the halves of the building are connected by transparent transitions.
The atrium of Leeza Soho is not straight, it curves smoothly, twisting inside the building. At the same time, its dynamic shape creates bulging openings on both sides of the tower, which let in natural light and offer views of the city from every floor.
According to the creators, the latest "green" trends were taken into account when creating the skyscraper. So, solar panels are located on the roof of the building, water purification systems and heat recovery from exhaust air are provided. There are also many charging stations for electric vehicles.
Leeza Soho was designed by Zaha Hadid, founder of Zaha Hadid Architects, known for her unusual creations. Unfortunately, the famous architect will not see the skyscraper live, she died suddenly at the age of 65 in 2016. Zaha Hadid, also known as the "queen of curved lines", has created such futuristic buildings as the Guangzhou Opera House, the Aquatics Center in London, and the Al Wakra Stadium in Qatar (still under construction).
