High Performance Medical Device Innovation Center / HENN

Text description provided by the architect. HENN’s Innovation Center for Advanced Medical Devices (IHM·GBA) is located at the heart of Guangzhou’s thriving international bio-island, a zone dedicated to biomedical research and technology development. The building is used for the development of high-end medical devices and requires a design that combines laboratory and research spaces with informal communication areas and open office spaces.

HENN’s design weaves these programs into an X-shaped floor plan to make the most of square parcels. Each bar of the ‘X’ is assigned a laboratory or workspace, with intersections serving as communal spaces. The column grid is tighter in the lab area and more open in the wings dedicated to office space.

The shape of the floor plan allows light to reach the center of the building, with all wings offering lush views in multiple directions.The inner corners of the X are curved in contrast to the sharp outer edges, creating It enhances the scenery and creates a dynamic composition of lines along the façade.

The Innovation Center consists of three floating volumes separated by multi-level outdoor terraces that act as sky gardens. These double-height spaces create a playful rhythm of changing volumes. The lower volume has public functions such as a lobby, exhibition hall, show lab and café. The central volume above contains laboratories, meeting rooms, and multi-purpose rooms, with offices on the top floor.

The Innovation Center represents a new typology of dense vertical architecture, combining experimental and research spaces with collaborative working environments. HENN’s designs serve as a platform for innovation that drives the development of high-performance medical devices.