# Prismatic Tower Designs Skidmore, Owings & Merril Created a Building with Light-Reflecting Windows By Riley von Niessen | Published 2016-06-22 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/skidmore-owings-merrill References: [dezeen](http://www.dezeen.com/2016/06/20/som-beijing-greenland-center-skyscraper-trapezoidal-glass-panels/) & [som](http://www.som.com/) '[Skidmore, Owings & Merrill](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/supertall-skyscraper-1)' is an American architecture, engineering and design firm that's behind a [55-storey building in Beijing](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ndarja) that features a series of light-reflecting windows. Positioned at alternating angles, the windows allow natural light to bounce off its surfaces at different points, giving it a patterned effect. The impressive tower, called the Beijing Greenland Center, offers both office spaces and apartment complexes. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill included the prismatic windows around the entirety of the building, offering an endless supply of natural lighting to the building's inhabitants and making the structure eye-catching from any angle. The building was also designed to be [environmentally sustainable](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sudameris-plaza), with inclusions such as a "heat reclaim wheel, variable speed pumps for heating and cooling, and a water-side economizer to utilize evaporative cooling." ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.5/10 - Popularity: 36% | Activity: 31% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) > [Architecture](https://www.trendhunter.com/architecture) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Prismatic Window Design:** Opportunity for architects and designers to explore light-reflecting window designs for buildings, enhancing the use of natural lighting for energy-efficient structures. - **Environmentally Sustainable Buildings:** Opportunity for construction companies to incorporate green technology and designs to improve energy efficiency and reduce a building's carbon footprint. - **Mixed-use Properties:** Opportunity for real estate developers to create mixed-use buildings that offer both office spaces and residential complexes, catering to a broader range of real estate needs. ### Who This Affects Most - **Architecture:** With the advent of prismatic window design, architects can explore new ways to design buildings that draw upon multiple streams of natural lighting for workspaces and residential structures. - **Construction:** The call for environmentally-friendly buildings provides a disruption opportunity to construction companies to offer energy-efficient solutions that adhere to green standards. - **Real Estate:** The mixed-use property development will emphasize the rising need for flexible spaces for work and living as part of a wider plan to change the urban landscape for the better. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Curved Glass Veiled Stores](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tiffany-co-store.md) - [Expansive NYC Tower Projects](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/supertall-skyscraper-1.md) - [Office Building Rainbow Facades](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/vertical-rainbow-office.md) - [Multifunctional Angled Apartments](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/vertikal-nydalen.md) - [Greenery-Filled Skyscraper Terrarium](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/terrarium-cheongdam.md) - [Porcelain-Clad Skyscrapers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/selldorf-architects.md) - [Black Terracotta Office Buildings](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/287-building.md) - [Ski Resort Crystalline Skyscrapers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/trojena-ski-resort.md) - [Glass-Lined Towering Libraries](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/beijing-city-library.md)