a residential tower study exploring differentiated apartments, structural frames and inserted living pods
| Project Location | Shenzhen, China |
| Project Type | Residential tower, high-rise housing, tower design, façade study, urban living |
| Project Description | Residential tower proposal in Shenzhen exploring differentiated apartments, bespoke living spaces, structural frames, articulated joints and inserted pods within a singular tower form. |
| Architect | UFO Architecture – Shenzhen Studio |
| Lead Architect | Eddy He |
| Project Status | Design proposal – unbuilt |
| Project Duration | 2019 |
| Programme | Residential tower, apartments, bespoke flats, inserted living pods, shared spaces and façade articulation |
| Design Focus | Residential tower design, differentiated apartments, bespoke living spaces, regular structural frame, articulated joints, inserted pods, colour, varied fenestration and levels of transparency |
| Structural Strategy | The project uses a regular structural frame with articulated joints and connections, allowing pods and apartment elements to be inserted within the tower structure. |
| Façade Strategy | The façade explores colour, varied fenestration and different degrees of transparency to create a more differentiated residential identity within the Shenzhen skyline. |
Shenzhen Voxel Tower is UFO Architecture’s 2019 residential tower proposal for Shenzhen, China. Developed by UFO Architecture – Shenzhen Studio, the project explores how a singular tower can contain differentiated homes, varied spatial conditions and a more individualised form of high-rise living.
The proposal works against the repetition often associated with residential towers. Instead of treating the building as a stack of identical units, the design investigates how bespoke flats and differentiated spaces can be created within the constraints of a regular high-rise structure.
The tower is organised through a regular structural frame with articulated joints and connections. Within this frame, pods are inserted as spatial elements, creating variation, depth and a more specific relationship between structure, apartment layout and domestic experience.
The façade strategy develops this differentiation externally through colour, varied fenestration and changing levels of transparency. The tower becomes a more animated residential figure, connecting its internal diversity to a distinct architectural expression within the Shenzhen skyline.
Shenzhen Voxel Tower reflects UFO Architecture’s interest in tower design, vertical housing, façade articulation and the development of high-rise typologies that can support more varied and personalised forms of urban living.
