Horizontal Skyscraper – Vanke Center

The Horizontal Skyscraper, designed by Steven Holl Architects and completed in 2009, is a mixed-use building located on the outskirts of Shenzhen, China. Situated in Dameisha, Yantian District, the complex includes offices for Vanke Co., a conference center, restaurant, an auditorium, a hotel, apartments and a large public park.

By raising the 1,296,459-square-foot (120,445.0 m²) building on eight cores — as far as 50 meters (160 ft) apart and positioning the building right under the 35-meter (115 ft) high limit of the area — Steven Holl Architects was able to create the largest possible tropical garden on the ground level of the site. In addition, the raised building allows for sea breezes to flow through the public gardens, reducing the temperature.

Covering the entire length of the building, a public path connects from the hotel, through the apartment zones and to the office wings.

The building is LEED Platinum, and features an innovative merging of cable stay bridge technology and a high strength concrete frame.

The Horizontal Skyscraper has been honored with several awards, including an AIA NY Architecture Honor Award, a Green Good Design Award, and was named Best Green Project in the Good Design is Good Business Awards.

In 2012, Steven Holl published "Horizontal Skyscraper," a book that follows the project from its beginning in 2006 through construction and to the opening of the building in 2009. The book was published by William Stout Publishers.

Holl received the commission through an architectural competition. He attributes his victory to maximizing the public landscape while rising to the 35 meter height limit and fully utilizing sea views from the built spaces.