24°26′18″N 118°05′01″E / 24.43833°N 118.08361°E / 24.43833; 118.08361
Shimao Cross-Strait Plaza (Chinese: 世茂海峡大厦; pinyin: Shìmào Hǎixiá Dàshà), also known as Shimao Straits Tower, Shimao MO Sky Mansion, and Xiamen Shimao Straits Mansion,[1] is a skyscraper complex in Xiagang, Siming District, Xiamen, People's Republic of China. The project was completed in 2015, and the architect was Gensler.[2]
The complex has two towers, Xiamen Shimao Cross-Strait Plaza Tower B and Xiamen Shimao Cross-Strait Plaza Tower A,[2] which are nicknamed the "Twin Towers of Xiamen" (Chinese: 厦门双子塔; pinyin: Xiàmén Shuāngzǐ Tǎ).[3][4][5] The plaza features two sail-like towers, standing at 300 meters each.[6][7][8]
The primary use of the towers is for office space.[7][8] Tower B also includes a hotel, and Tower A has "small office/home office" (SOHO) units. The complex has an observation deck from which the island of Kinmen can be seen. In between the two towers is a shopping center called Emall.[9][10][11]
The towers are designed to evoke "two giant sails of a gigantic vessel on the waterfront", as an homage to Xiamen's maritime history.[12][13] They were also inspired by the bougainvillea, the city flower of Xiamen.[13][14][15]
Sources differ on the total number of floors. Emporis says that Tower A has 59 above-ground floors while Tower B has 67.[7][8] An article in the journal Intelligent City said that Tower A had 66 floors and Tower B had 57,[11] while other sources say the complex has 64 floors.[3][12][13][16] There are three underground levels used for parking and equipment. Total floor space is about 350,000 square meters (270,000 above ground).[10][11]
Construction started in May 2010. The construction of the complex was funded by Shimao Property, which invested about RMB 5 billion in the project.[17] The development is located on a 30,000-square-meter plot in Xiagang, Siming District.[12] When the complex topped out in 2015, it was the tallest building in Xiamen.[13][16][18]
During construction the complex was described as "China's first twin towers".[18]
