Inspired by bamboo shoots breaking ground and the blooming hibiscus, Chengdu’s Panda Tower rises as a cultural icon — sculptural by day, radiant beacon by night.

The Panda Tower in Chengdu, China, is conceived with the imagery of “spring bamboo shoots breaking ground, hibiscus blooming”, symbolizing both the giant panda’s bamboo diet and the city’s floral emblem, the hibiscus. Rising 69 meters with a spiral bamboo-shoot form, the tower integrates cultural identity, structural innovation, and media lighting into one landmark. The steel structure weighs 1,300 tons, woven from 720 unique curved components, each with its own dimension and curvature. Its façade is wrapped with 672 crescent-shaped curved aluminum grilles, up to 13.7m long, simulating natural bamboo textures. The surface is treated with light-brown fluorocarbon paint that reflects a golden sheen at sunset, while the crown — China’s first “sprouting” tower crown — uses 75 hydraulic rods for synchronized kinetic movement. Inside, 81 petal-shaped viewing platforms inspired by hibiscus blossoms offer panoramic perspectives. Golden terrazzo flooring and bamboo-shaped railings create rich layers of light and shadow. Lighting design emphasizes “technology hidden in nature”: 23,000 MF-Linear D17 pixels embedded in 2x2cm façade gaps, invisible by day, magical by night. Multiple LED types (flexible wall washers, linear lights, floodlights), applied with a “small, efficient, minimal” principle to save energy. Advanced modular control allows daily, festive, and event-based lighting modes, adapting the tower’s glow to its cultural context. By day, the Panda Tower is a sculptural bronze landmark; by night, it awakens as a dynamic media façade, with flowing gradients, cultural motifs, and festive storytelling. Completed in 2021 for the University Games, the tower embodies Chengdu’s identity as the home of the panda and as a city of innovation and cultural vitality.

https://youtube.com/shorts/Q-vWkHPdMoA?si=nm78NaPlN5Ch4dqJ

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7333449437979017216

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Details

Building or project owner : Chengdu Xingcheng Investment Group Co., Ltd

Light design : Media Facade Ltd

Descriptions

Facade type and geometry (structure) : Bamboo-shoot inspired spiral steel shell, 1,300 tons 720 unique custom curved steel components 672 single-curved crescent grilles (up to 13.7m, 600kg each) forming the bamboo texture Height 69m, 9 floors, with hibiscus-inspired viewing platforms

Kind of light creation : Seamless integration of 23,000 MF-Linear D17 pixels in 2x2 cm façade gaps Combination of linear LEDs, flexible wall washers, and floodlights Hidden fixtures with reflected/diffused lighting for flowing, natural effects Modular control system with daily/festival/event modes

Pixel distance : 125mm

Luminace : 400~500 nit

Urban situation : Located in Chengdu, the Panda Tower stands as a day-night dual landmark: a sculptural bronze bamboo shoot under the sun, and a colorful, dynamic media beacon at night. It enriches the urban skyline, attracts visitors, and reflects Chengdu’s cultural symbols.

Description of showreel : The lighting sequences flow like bamboo growing and hibiscus blooming: Color gradients ripple across the spiral façade Festive themes highlight cultural motifs Crown movements enhance storytelling with dynamic kinetic effects

Participatory architecture & urban interaction

Issues addressed : Fusion of architecture and media façade Creating identity and attraction for Chengdu Day-night dual aesthetic (sculpture + media surface) Public engagement through dynamic storytelling

Mediacredits

Media Facade Ltd.

Media Facade Ltd.

Media Facade Ltd.

Media Facade Ltd.