This building’s facade is endlessly adaptable

The Westlake 66 mixed-use development in Hangzhou, China, initially planned to include offices, retail, hotels, and public spaces across a massive 2 million square feet. However, the exact mix of uses changed repeatedly from 2018 to 2023. New York City-based architects Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF) transformed this uncertainty into the project's defining design element by employing a reconfigurable facade system for the entire podium level.

This modular system wraps the building in cells that can adapt to various interior conditions, from wide windows for boutiques to narrow tinted windows for bars or louvered vents for mechanical systems. The facade's adaptability is crucial as the building's programming shifted, such as transitioning from a university building to an office space.

KPF drew inspiration from biology, creating the facade system to mirror cellular structures that can change over time. The design consists of 6-foot-tall cells with seven different apertures, enabling the facade to handle over 2,800 unique conditions. The cells' modular design uses 21 parts, allowing for interchangeable modules with consistent dimensions.

Terracotta liners reference the local industry and add depth to the facade. The cells' small size enables them to be manufactured as rectilinear objects mounted with a gentle curve, creating public spaces and vertical programs along the building. The reconfigurable facade system becomes a visual centerpiece, attracting tenants and visitors to the university, retailers, gym, luxury hotel, and park space on the podium level.