NBBJ completes Vivo headquarters with spiralling terrace in Shenzhen

Architecture studio NBBJ has completed the Vivo headquarters in Shenzhen, China, a 150-metre skyscraper for 6,000 employees. Located in Qianhai Bay, the tower's floor plates shift at slight angles around the core, creating a continuous 360-degree spiralling terrace. The design was inspired by Vivo's smartphone cameras, with shifting plates recalling a camera lens aperture. The sculptural facade contrasts the glass-dominated skyline, featuring horizontal glazing for bay views and self-shading elements for energy efficiency. Operable windows behind perforated metal screens enable natural ventilation in the humid subtropical climate. The podium incorporates stairs and planters inspired by local rocky coasts. Landscaping varies by height: shallow-rooted plants at lower levels, deeper-rooted species higher to withstand typhoon winds, and flowering trees and ferns at the top terrace. Eight multi-height atriums dissolve boundaries between inside and outside. NBBJ described the guiding vision as 'capturing life.' Project credits include TJA Shenzhen as architect of record, WSP for vertical transportation, Inhabit for facade, Atkins Shenzhen for sustainability, Cheng Chung Design for interior, BPI for lighting, and China Architecture Design & Research Group for landscape. Photography is by Kris Provoost unless stated otherwise.