This historic adaptive reuse project is a part of the Plant Riverside District, a 670,000-square-foot complex located just feet away from the Savannah River in Georgia. Initially built in 1912 as the Savannah Electric & Power Company’s power station, the building sat vacant from 2005 until 2016.

The new Taiyuan Botanical Garden complex in Taiyuan, China, features three paraboloid domes ranging from 140 to 290 feet in diameter and from 40 to 100 feet in height. The gridshells comprise light doubly curved glulam beams arranged in two or three crossing layers. The project pushes the boundaries of structural engineering and construction technique in a country with little experience using timber for long-span applications, creating three beautiful gems for this growing city.