SOHO China
SOHO China is a Chinese building developer, primarily in the office and commercial sector, with some residential and mixed-use properties in its portfolio. The company, which uses the name "SOHO" in both English and Chinese contexts, was founded in 1995 by Chairman Pan Shiyi (潘石屹) and CEO Zhang Xin (张欣).[2] The name SOHO comes from the phrase "Smart Office, Home Office" as the company decided to combine office rooms and residential apartments in the same building to facilitate a comfortable and productive environment.[3]
For other uses, see Soho (disambiguation).Company type
KYG826001003 
1995
Pan Shiyi
Zhang Xin
Beijing, People's Republic of China (de facto)
Cayman Islands (Incorporated Office)
SOHO China focuses on developing properties in the central business districts of Beijing and Shanghai. SOHO China developments are known for their modern architecture, with designs from figures such as Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid,[4] and Japanese architect Kengo Kuma.[5] The company has developed over five million square meters of commercial properties.[6] Many of its buildings have won awards and other recognition for their design.[7][8][9][10]
Fortune has described SOHO China as ""one of the country's most high-profile real estate firms",[4] and The New York Times has described the company as China's only pure prime office developer.[11][12]
Having shifted from a "build to sell" to "build to hold" strategy in 2012,[13][14][15] the company now holds 1.4 million square meters of office space in Beijing and Shanghai for long-term investment.[16][17][18] Although the company has sold several properties in the late 2010s, Pan Shiyi has said that "Soho will continue to hold and operate its core assets in Beijing and Shanghai".[15] Pan also noted in 2016 that the transition to "build to hold" was requiring the company to endure some difficult times,[15] but by the following year rental income had increased by 44%, contributing to a 69% increase in annual net profits for the company.[19]
In June 2021, Pan and Zhang struck a deal to sell a controlling stake to Blackstone for $3 billion.[20]
Corporate affairs[edit]
The headquarters of SOHO China is in the Chaowai SOHO (朝外SOHO) in Chaoyang District, Beijing.[26]
Projects[edit]
Beijing[edit]
SOHO's earliest projects were in Beijing, and the company has had a substantial impact on the city, such that Zhang Xin has been referred to as "the woman who built Beijing".[27] Zhang, with Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid, who designed several of the most striking SOHO buildings, have been described as "the women transforming Beijing's skyline", and as "powerful partners in shaping corporate building design in some of China's biggest cities".[4] As of 2019, the company continues to have various additional projects under construction in that city.
Philanthropy[edit]
Founded in 2005, the SOHO China Foundation oversees all of the philanthropic activity on behalf of SOHO China.[53] The Foundation's mission is to fund education initiatives that support Chinese students from underserved communities.[54] The Foundation's primary project is the SOHO China Scholarships, a US$100 million initiative to endow financial aid scholarships for Chinese students at top international universities,[55] including Harvard University (July 2014) and Yale University (October 2014).[56][57] The SOHO China Foundation, through its "Teach for China" program, has previously funded education programs in poor rural areas in China.[58]