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Leeza SOHO can rise on a site crossed by a subway because the tunnel runs underground, diagonally through the plot—not through the tower’s occupied floors. Zaha Hadid Architects divided the Beijing office tower into two volumes on opposite sides of the tunnel, then brought them together beneath one exterior envelope. Between them, a twisting atrium links the halves from base to roof.
What it means for a tower to straddle a subway
Leeza SOHO stands in Beijing’s Lize Financial Business District. The underground tunnel crosses its site at an angle, so the building’s two main volumes rise on either side rather than resting as one uninterrupted mass over the tunnel. A shared façade encloses both sides, making them read as one tower. The train tunnel is infrastructure beneath the site, not a route through occupied office floors.
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The project is an office tower designed by Zaha Hadid Architects. ArchDaily’s project description explains the architectural response, while structural engineer Bollinger+Grohmann documents the engineering approach.
How the atrium joins the two halves
The gap between the building volumes forms a tall central atrium. At the base, its alignment responds to the underground tunnel; as it rises, the atrium twists about 45 degrees toward the street grid and Lize Road. The result is both a circulation and spatial connection between the two sides and a dramatic void within the tower.
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Architectural Record reports that project director Satoshi Ohashi described the cavity as an “urban window.” That phrase captures the atrium’s role as an opening through the building, not a claim about public access.
How tall is Leeza SOHO?
Measurements describe different parts of the project, so the tower’s height should not be confused with the atrium’s:
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| Measurement | What it describes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 207 m | Overall building height | Bollinger+Grohmann project record |
| 172,800 m² | Gross floor area | Bollinger+Grohmann project record; ArchDaily also lists 172,800 m² as the tower’s area |
| Approximately 194.15 m | Atrium height, not overall tower height | Technoform project page |
The sources record the project as running from 2015 to 2019, and Technoform says it opened in November 2019.
What the structural design does around the tunnel
Bollinger+Grohmann describes a system using inclined columns, concrete cores and composite floor construction. Its account says piles extend below the subway tunnel into the ground, an arrangement intended to minimize impact on the existing tunnel.
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That is a description of the structural strategy, not a published performance report. The available project accounts do not provide measured tunnel movement, vibration results or quantified safety outcomes, so they do not establish how the tunnel performed under operating conditions.
What is—and is not—established about the subway
Project descriptions place Leeza SOHO over or across subway infrastructure and refer to an interchange context. They do not consistently settle the exact line numbers, station naming or current passenger-service details. Without confirmation from a current transit authority source, it is better not to infer a specific line or claim that the tower offers station access.
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The project sources establish completion and opening in 2019, but do not establish current tenants, occupancy or public visitor access.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why the design is an engineering response, not just a sculptural gesture
The site constraint shapes both the building’s plan and its interior: the volumes stand apart to accommodate the diagonal tunnel, while the atrium reconnects them above and provides the tower’s defining internal space. The engineering account describes how columns, cores and foundations support that arrangement while seeking to limit effects on existing infrastructure. It does not, however, supply comparative or measured post-construction evidence that would show how this approach performs against other ways of building near a subway tunnel.
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