New DJI Headquarters Mark “Beginning of a New Era” says Frank Wang

DJI Opens Cutting-Edge New Headquarters in Shenzhen, China

DRONELIFE Staff Writer Ian M Crosby

Drone and camera technology leader DJI has opened its new company headquarters in Shenzhen, China.

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This new building, dubbed DJI Sky City, features architectural structures not yet seen in large-scale high-rise buildings. Designed by leading architectural team Foster + Partners, the two 44 and 40 story towers are 200 meters high, with a 90 meter long suspension skybridge linking them at 105 meters. This new building brings the company’s employees together in one location, after previously being based in offices scattered across Shenzhen.

“Drone technology has changed the way we experience the world around us, while pushing the boundaries of aerial possibilities,” said Lord Foster, Founder and Executive Chairman, Foster + Partners. “I have enjoyed using DJI products for more than a decade. We are delighted to have partnered with DJI in creating their new headquarters in Shenzhen, which will be the company’s premier center of research and innovation.”

The building’s office, research, and development areas are arranged in floating volumes cantilevered from central cores by large megatrusses, making the building appear as if it were suspended in the air. The towers are the first of their scale to employ an asymmetrical suspension steel structure, which allows for fewer columns and forms uninterrupted working spaces. The structure also features drone flight testing labs over four stories, while its ground floor is home to public facilities such as a community healthcare center and a garden.

In alignment with DJI’s desire to create a sustainable building, Foster + Partners designed the structure’s floor plates to maximize daylight while minimizing energy consumption. The building’s TWIN lift system uses fewer shafts to provide more usable office floor area. Its intelligent control system enables reduced energy consumption during off-peak periods. The structure also collects rainwater for reuse, while recycling gray water to irrigate the landscape, which serves as a buffer against rains during monsoon season.

“It took us six years to build the new DJI Headquarters, which is the result of the wisdom and determination of DJI and our valued partners. We see Sky City as a product unlike any we’ve ever made: our real home,” said DJI Founder and CEO Frank Wang. “At the beginning of a new era for DJI, we pay great attention to the growth and well-being of every employee. This starts with a work environment that is both practical and delightful. I hope that Sky City will inspire all of us to work together and scale new heights of progress, wisdom, and possibilities to develop solutions that benefit society.”

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Ian attended Dominican University of California, where he received a BA in English in 2019. With a lifelong passion for writing and storytelling and a keen interest in technology, he is now contributing to DroneLife as a staff writer.