Standing Tall, Like an Eagle

Black laminated safety glass for the project was made with DuPont^TM Butacite® PVB interlayer

The Great China International Centre is located at the new Futian central business district of Shenzhen, China. With a gross area of 33,000 m2 (344,445 sq ft) and standing tall at 220.9 m (724.74 ft), the building consists of four commercial towers housing a five-star Sheraton Hotel, offices and shops. In the near future it will also be home to the Shenzhen Stock Exchange.

Architect Raymond Goh of Archurban Architects and Planners, Shenzhen, says that his client wanted a great building that stood out from the crowd in the busy downtown business area of Shenzhen. Goh said: "Completed in late 2006, the building has immediately become a new landmark feature of the city, standing out amongst the other blue and grey office towers of the business district.

"The Great China International Centre adopts the conceptual form of the Native American Eagle, featuring a white majestic cap and black coat. The centre´s façade is cladded with 18,000 m2 (193,750 sq ft) of black laminated safety glass containing DuPont^TM Butacite® PVB, with stainless steel and white mullions that are reminiscent of the Eagle´s distinctive coloring." The laminated glass for this project was supplied by Shanghai Yaohua Pilkington (SYP). Technical director Pan Wei confirmed that the makeup of the glass is 8 mm (0.31 in) black tempered glass + 1.14 mm Butacite® (0.04 in) + 8 mm (0.31 in) tempered glass.