This project is part of Luxe Lakes Eco-City in Chengdu, Sichuan, China. It includes eight multiresidential towers varying from 22 to 38 storeys in height, two gatehouses and integrated retail. Set within a rich precinct of lakes and landscape, the shimmering silver towers frame a collection of themed elliptical courtyards. The figure of these courtyards is inscribed on the scalloped facades of the towers, exposing the cut ends of terracotta-lined outdoor rooms. Each building exhibits a gradient of earthy colours — it is as though the deep red soil of the site has been drawn up into the sky through a shifting pattern of tones from light through to deep umber-red. Marking the peninsula is the tallest tower of the precinct. Its petal-like plan form is extruded to a remarkable height, crowned with a cut end that houses a three-storey penthouse. The segmented skin of the dark metallic sleeve reveals a warm inner core of finely crafted scalloped terracotta tiles.