Chicago-based Goettsch Partners has been selected to design a 620-foot-tall mixed-use tower for the northeastern coastal city of Dalian, China. The tower's centerpiece will be a 377-room Grand Hyatt hotel. The structure will also include 84 serviced apartments, three restaurants, multiple ballrooms and meeting facilities, a spa and fitness center, and parking for 225 cars.

Fronting the Yellow Sea and adjacent to the large public park of Xinghai Square, the building will be primarily clad in high-performance glazing that features horizontal sunshades along all southern exposures. The tower's triangular design ensures guestroom views of the sea and mountain ranges and minimizes the structural impact of high winds on the coastline. Rounded corners accelerate the wind speeds at these locations, propelling the building's nearly 300 linear meters of wind rotors that are expected to produce electricity year-round. Vertical-axis turbines were chosen for their low-maintenance, bird-safe, quiet, and vibration-free operation.

The hotel floors are stacked below the serviced apartment levels, enabling the core to telescope and creating the architectural "portal" along the north facade. Internal circulation is exposed on this face to provide corridors with natural daylight and views of the skyline, as well as to assure a consistent lighting profile at night. The top two levels of the tower house the signature restaurant, offering unobstructed views in all directions.
 
The tower sits atop a four-level podium that contains large banquet, meeting, dining, fitness, and spa facilities. The main dining facility connects the building physically to its beachfront location while other functions, including the entry plaza and lobby, are elevated to capture commanding views of the bay and adjacent park. The fitness center and spa open out to a series of south-facing terraces, which provide both afternoon sun and a visceral connection to the sea. 
 
The project, currently in the design development phase, is scheduled for completion in 2011.
www.gpchicago.com
—Nielsen Business Media