Guangzhou, a city of vast charm and profound heritage nurtured over millennia, stands as an international metropolis pulsating with relentless developmental momentum and an inherently friendly, inclusive spirit. Within this vibrant landscape, Wholetops tirelessly cultivates innovation, erecting architectural landmarks that represent the region while contributing new technologies and materials to rejuvenate the urban fabric.
Figure: Cityscape of Guangzhou
In 2021, Wholetops had the honor of participating in the renovation project of Baiyun International Conference Center, specifically in addressing safety hazards on the exterior facade. As a supplier of facade materials, our company's innovative and environmentally friendly product, "Inorganic Magnesium Foamed Metal Panel," stood out amidst fierce competition and became the designated material for this renovation project. The successful application of "Inorganic Magnesium Foamed Metal Panel" in the facade renovation of Baiyun International Conference Center has set a new benchmark for governmental conference reception buildings in Guangzhou.
Figure: The Baiyun International Convention Center after its exterior renovation
Guangzhou Baiyun International Convention Center, a brand under the Lingnan Group, is a member of the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA). It is a large-scale comprehensive complex integrating functions such as conferences, exhibitions, hotels, banquets, performances, and property management. Together with the Phase II International Convention Hall, it forms an international and large-scale comprehensive conference building cluster with a total area exceeding 400,000 square meters.
Figure: The Baiyun International Conference Center after exterior renovation
Guangzhou Baiyun International Convention Center is located in the core area of Baiyun New Town, Guangzhou's modern eco-friendly commercial and cultural hub, boasting a prime location with comprehensive transportation access. Upholding the brand philosophy of "Green Conventions, Healthy Living," it has consistently undertaken the political task of hosting major government meetings such as provincial and municipal Party congresses, plenary sessions, and the "Two Sessions" (NPC and CPPCC). Ranked at the top of China's "Top 100 Conference Hotels (Large-scale)" list, it serves as a vital showcase window for Lingnan business and tourism services.
Figure: The Baiyun International Convention Center after its exterior renovation
Before Wholetops' participation in the exterior wall renovation, the facade of Guangzhou Baiyun International Convention Center, after years of use since its completion, exhibited severe discoloration, cracking, weathering, and peeling of the originally designed red sandstone material, posing persistent safety hazards.
Figure: Phenomena of wall cracking, powdering, weathering, and peeling
The Guangzhou Municipal Government attaches great importance to the material selection for this renovation and improvement project. To avoid potential hazards in future use, comprehensive investigations and comparisons were conducted regarding the functional indicators, quality, technology, reliability, environmental performance, and management of the materials when replacing the exterior walls. A careful selection process was carried out on all available products of this type in the market.
The design institute, client, and construction unit explored various materials, collecting samples such as aluminum honeycomb panels, aluminum panels + calcium silicate boards, aluminum panels + vermiculite boards, aluminum panels + rock wool, aluminum panels + fiber cotton, aluminum panels + polyurethane foam boards, aluminum panels + polystyrene foam boards, and aluminum panels + phenolic resin boards. Each material has its pros and cons, making it difficult to simultaneously achieve fire resistance, moisture resistance, thermal insulation, soundproofing, noise reduction, and environmental friendliness. Over 90% of these products use organic adhesives to bond the selected backing materials to metal panels. These adhesives release large amounts of toxic and harmful gases in the event of a fire, posing a significant safety hazard.
Balancing the various collected materials has always been a challenge, presenting a significant dilemma for the client, designers, and construction teams in deciding which material to choose.
Wholetops Innovations' newly developed product, "Inorganic Magnesium Foamed Metal Panels," meets all the requirements comprehensively in terms of product characteristics, offering unparalleled advantages.
Figure: Sample of Inorganic Magnesium Foamed Metal Panel
To address the material selection issue, the project owner invited nine authoritative experts from the construction industry within the Guangzhou Municipal Government's expert database. These experts conducted a rigorous comprehensive evaluation of all alternative materials, thoroughly comparing their technical performance, functional characteristics, applicability, production processes, and sample quality.
Figure: Sample of Inorganic Magnesium Foamed Metal Panel
Ultimately, Wholetops' innovative product "Inorganic Foam Composite Insulation Aluminum Panel (formerly named, later renamed as 'Inorganic Magnesium Foamed Metal Panel' upon expert recommendation during the CECS standard formulation process)" passed comprehensive evaluation and was honored as the final choice for the project. Through multi-party collaboration, the project was perfectly executed, with third-party test results showing all parameter indicators met design requirements.
The "Inorganic Magnesium Foamed Metal Panel" product has fundamentally changed long-standing industry practices that remained unaltered for years. It truly enables the application of inorganic materials in architectural metal decorative curtain walls, completely overturning the history of using organic adhesives in external wall insulation integrated panels.
Figure: Products supplied by Wholetops
"Inorganic magnesium foamed metal panels" demonstrate exceptional fireproof performance. Even when the metal panel melts under extreme heat, the "magnesium foamed material" remains intact without peeling, collapsing, or falling off, continuously providing fire protection for buildings. Moreover, it releases no toxic or odorous gases.
"Inorganic magnesium foamed metal panels" generate no wastewater, exhaust gases, or waste residues throughout the entire production process. They are manufactured under normal temperature and pressure with low energy consumption, embodying typical green and low-carbon product characteristics. This innovation adds a new product with excellent comprehensive features to the architectural decoration industry.
Figure: Post-fire test photo of inorganic magnesium-based foamed metal panel
While actively advancing intelligent manufacturing and strengthening its industry advantages, Wholetops has also focused on self-improvement in recent years, deepening its expertise in independent fields such as technological R&D. Wholetops's innovative eco-friendly product, the "Inorganic Magnesium-Based Foamed Metal Panel," has been included in the premium product library of China's "Land Architect/DJSER," as well as the material libraries of several prestigious design institutes like the East China Design Institute. Additionally, it has been honored with the "Innovative Material for Architectural Application Award" and the title of "Technology Innovation Enterprise" by the Metal Composite Materials Branch of the China Building Materials Federation.
Figure: Award-winning photo of magnesium foam metal panels
Wholetops's profound understanding of each city and meticulous exploration of every project are rooted in the essence of urban development and user needs. The ability to radiate charm through innovation and renovation, injecting cities with inexhaustible momentum for iterative progress, serves as Wholetops' solid foundation for continuous breakthroughs and sustained growth.
Figure: Large-scale Architectural Clusters in Guangzhou
"Where there are modern buildings, there is Wholetops." Along this journey, Wholetops has consistently upheld craftsmanship and sincerity, bearing in mind General Secretary Xi Jinping's call to "build the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area into a model of high-quality development and create an international first-class bay area." The company actively implements the requirements for "Guangzhou to revitalize its old city with new vitality, achieving excellence in comprehensive urban functions, cultural strength, modern services, and a modern, international business environment." By continuously enhancing R&D capabilities and production efficiency, Wholetops provides clients with perfect solutions, creating more distinctive high-quality projects. This marks a new chapter in the company's mission to craft beautiful architecture and build the cities of the future.