An experimental study of the thermal characteristics of an existing office building with double skin facade DSF were conducted in hot summer daytime in Nanjing China. The temperature distributions of the DSF and indoor environment were measured at different control modes of DSF.The results show that the energy consumption of the air conditioning system in room B with opened exterior vents a closed interior facade and an air cavity with shading was 21.0% less than that in room A with closed exterior vents a closed interior facade and air cavity without shading in 9.5 h. The temperature distributions of the DSF and indoor environment in both horizontal and vertical directions were decisively influenced by shading conditions. The usage of shading devices strengthens the stack effect on the air cavity. Compared to room A the temperature distribution in room B is more uniform with smaller fluctuations.Meanwhile the problem of overheating in the air cavity of the DSF is still present in all tested conditions.
