In central Qingdao and overlooking the Yellow Sea, the Agora is a 2.3 million sq ft development consisting of a 4-story, 300,000 sq. ft. retail podium; a 30-story, 96-unit condominium tower; and a 51-story, 936,000 sq. ft. class-A office tower, the tallest in Shandong Province.

The exterior form of the office building recalls traditional Chinese 'scholar rocks,' specifically rock shapes that evoke islands off the coast of Shandong Province, and therefore have significance to the local popula...