The Dalian Urban Planning Center’s relationship to the government center positions it to become the foremost building in the central city. A public plaza unites the architecture with the government district through a series of folding planes and lush vegetation. The massing of the center is a simple, rectilinear five-story structure whose simplicity is carried over to the interior of the volume via transparent layers of skin portraying the sense of depth through the space. While the material palette and articulation may be minimal, the elements display a high level of technological and environment intricacy. Through the use of geo-thermal technology, energy recovery ventilation systems, water efficiency, and improved indoor air quality, the planning center complies with the highest of environmental standards, while maintaining the simple aesthetic of the space.