SCREEN FACADE · SUBTROPICAL TOWER
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| Project Location | Nanning, China |
| Project Type | Residential tower |
| Project Description | A residential tower with an openable perforated screen facade for the subtropical climate of Nanning, China, combining waterjet-cut aluminium screens and CNC-cut cross-laminated timber screens to create a dynamic moiré effect. |
| Architect | UFO Architecture |
| UFO Architecture Team | Alvin Chu, Andrew Yau, Anna Liuzzo, Dirk Anderson, Claudio Lucchesi, Eduardo Barata, Jonas Lundberg |
| Project Status | Un-built design study |
| Project Year | 2011 |
| Project Size | 60,000 sqm · Height 100 m |
| Project Cost | 140 million RMB |
| Design Focus | Perforated screen facade, moiré effect, waterjet-cut aluminium, CNC-cut cross-laminated timber, subtropical climate response, openable screens, passive environmental control |
Shuttered Tower is a residential tower proposal for Nanning, China, developed in response to the region's subtropical climate. The project explores how a high-rise residential building can use layered facade systems to mediate sunlight, privacy, ventilation and environmental performance while creating a distinctive architectural identity.
The tower is wrapped in a series of openable perforated screens. The outer layer consists of waterjet-cut aluminium panels, while the inner layer is formed from CNC-cut cross-laminated timber screens. Together, the two systems create a dynamic facade capable of adapting to changing environmental conditions throughout the year.
The perforation patterns of the aluminium skin are carefully modulated to generate a large-scale moiré effect across the building envelope. As residents move through the building and as daylight conditions change, the facade appears to shift in depth, transparency and texture, producing a constantly evolving visual experience.
The openable screens allow occupants to control solar gain, privacy and natural ventilation while reducing reliance on mechanical cooling. The layered facade acts as a climatic buffer between the interior and the exterior environment, providing shade and improving comfort within the residential spaces.
Shuttered Tower represents an early example of UFO Architecture's interest in digitally fabricated facade systems and environmentally responsive high-rise design. By combining a metallic outer skin with an engineered timber inner layer, the project investigates how advanced fabrication techniques can be used to create expressive, performative and climate-responsive architecture.
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