Dutch architect Ben van Berkel of UNStudio has unveiled plans for a 60-storey building with two towers located near the qiangtan river in hangzhou, the capital of zhejiang province, China.

After four years of planning and construction, it will reach a height of 60 stories, presenting views both to and from the qiantang river and west lake areas.

Called Raffles City Hangzhou, the building will provide a total floor area of almost 300,000 square meters. It will incorporate retail spaces, offices, housing and a hotel.

"The philosophy behind the Raffles City concept is to integrate mixed use in an urban context, but in such a way as to give this concept a twist by focussing on where the urban context meets the landscape of the city," says van Berkel.

"In the design of the towers the urban element of the project twists towards the landscape, whilst the landscape aspect, in turn, twists towards the urban context, thereby effecting the incorporation and consolidation of these separate elements in one formal gesture."

The building is due for completion in 2012.

Source: designboom