OFFICE PARK FOR WISON HEADQUARTERS BY AS. ARCHITECTURE

This project conveys the spirit of the Zhangjiang developing neighborhood whose motto is: “an innovative district, a charming district”.

The shape of the building is a dynamic illustration of the different entities of the Wison company.

The façades and the roof are designed in compliance with the climatic features of the region where the buildings are located, taking into account fundamental parameters such as light, orientation as well as energy consumption.

The cover, which is a large roof, corresponds to open-air meeting areas. The central volume connects the five buildings, all of which have different uses.

The transparent ground floors, with open spaces, enable the visitors to better understand the position of entrances and exits while clearing views.

This project represents a continuous and complementary addition to the “Zhangjiang Engineering Park” center, which is already a built area.

With its bold shape, Wison new headquarters offers a spatial layout reflecting the society itself.

On the southern part, it opens on the Zhongke street with a “piazza” at the entrance. On the western side, the buildings open their doors towards the river bank and the surrounding landscape.

Location: Shanghai, China

Architect: AS.Architecture Studio

Structural engineer: Shanghai Johnson architectural & engineering designing consultants ltd.

Site area: 43,000 m2

Construction area: 139,830 m2

Cost: $ 150,000,000

Year: 2013

Client: Wison Chemical

Photographer: Olivier Marceny

NEW URBAN DEVELOPMENT IN SHENZHEN BY GMP ARCHITEKTEN

The architects von Gerkan, Marg and Partners (gmp architekten) have been commissioned with the design of a new urban development project on a 45 hectare site in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen.

 

It comprises a transportation hub including five underground railway stations, a border control point and numerous commercial areas. Above ground there will be a range of tower blocks of different heights with apartments, shops and offices to form multi-functional city quarters. The new “Qianhai Integrated Transportation Hub” will be intersected by major north-south and east-west transport axes.

The development will feature a variety of urban spaces and a structure with a diverse range of buildings. The tower blocks – with heights ranging between 200 and 280 metres, including one landmark building of 450 metres – form an impressive skyline, and will give this area between the coast and the centre of Shenzhen an unmistakable character.

While the traffic above ground will consist of bus and taxi transport, as well as pedestrian routes, the major function of the transport hub will be below ground – combining underground lines and local and regional train stations – linking Shenzhen with its neighbouring cities.

The site is located in the centre of the new urban development area at Qianhai Bay to the east of Shenzhen. It is part of the new special economic area which is being planned by China in the Pearl River Delta. The intention is to create a new type of finance centre that is directly connected to Hong Kong and benefits from special financial and tax rights for trade in Chinese currency.

In the longer term, the new special economic zone will be part of an incomparably large metropolis linking the already extremely dense agglomeration of Hong Kong/Shenzhen/Guangzhou to form one continuous conurbation.

Location: Shenzhen, China

Architect: gmp architekten

Project Management: Jens Weiler, Martin Gänsicke

Project Team: Clemens Kampermann, George Liang, Johannes Erdmann, Boyan Kolchakov, Cheng Huang, Slava Savova, Amelie Kulassek, Christian Machnacki, Ji Xu, Wei Qin, Zhicong Chen, Jan Deml, Bin Zhou, Thilo Zehme, Niklas Veelken, Jing Xue

Client Shenzhen Metro Group Ltd.

International competition 2013 – 1st prize

SCHMIDT HAMMER LASSEN ARCHITECTS WINS LIBRARY COMPETITION IN NINGBO

Ningbo New Library is located in the heart of Ningbo New East Town and sits on the edge of a new ecological wetland area which will form a new cultural hub of the city.

With its open and accessible design the project makes it possible to display the library’s collection of more than 2 million books and double the number of daily visitors. Founded in 1927, the Ningbo City Library holds the largest collection of historic and ancient books in the region. The old library attracts 3–4,000 visitors daily.

The aim of the new library is to increase the number of visitors to 7–8,000 per day. To deal with this increase the new library will be organized with an open plan layout containing 3,000 study spaces. The building is organized around an 8,000 square metres open marketplace containing the most popular library functions and collections.

The marketplace is visually open on all sides connecting to a public plaza and a landscaped ecological park and lake, thus ensuring all interior spaces have a direct connection with the outside. In the heart of the library is a central atrium in the form of a giant book stack containing study desks, reading booths, internet stations and media spaces.

This generous 28-metre-high space connects the marketplace at ground floor level with a series of quieter research spaces and the historic collections above. The atrium provides natural light to the centre of the building during the day and acts as an urban lantern at night. From a sustainable viewpoint the library design maximises the use of passive solutions over technological add-ons.

For instance the use of natural daylight in all interior spaces is optimized through the building orientation. Natural ventilation will be maximized through the central atrium and the structure of the building will consist of exposed concrete to optimize thermal stability during hot summer months and cool winters.

Location: Ningbo, China

Architect: schmidt hammer lassen architects

Landscape architect: schmidt hammer lassen architects

Area: 31,405 square metres

Status: Expected completion in 2016

Competition: 1st prize

Client: City of Ningbo, Ningbo Library

MIXED-USE IN SHANGHAI BY FOSTER + PARTNERS AND HEATHERWICK STUDIO

Bund Finance Centre (BFC) is a prominent new mixed-use destination in Shanghaidesigned jointly by Foster + Partners and Heatherwick Studio.

The 420,000-square-metre development of eight buildings includes two 180-metre landmark towers, and combines premium ‘grade A’ offices with a boutique hotel, an arts and cultural centre and a wide variety of luxury retail spaces, all arranged around a generous landscaped public plaza.

The scheme brings together premium office space for international headquarters and a unique ‘corporate mansion’ – an elite networking platform for business partners and VIPs. A boutique luxury hotel provides a glamorous new destination on the Bund. The retail spaces are vertically layered with boutiques, concept stores for international brands, a luxury shopping mall and Michelin-starred restaurants.

A palette of crafted stone and bronze details gives the buildings a jewel-like quality. The edges of each volume are made of richly textured, hand-crafted granite and become slimmer as they rise, giving the impression of solidity at the base and transparency at the top. At the heart of the scheme is a flexible arts and cultural centre, which combines exhibition and events halls with a performance venue, inspired by the open stages of traditional Chinese theatres.

JINAN CULTURAL CENTRE BY AS ARCHITECTURE

The Cultural Centre is sutated at the heart of the new city built around the high-speed train station located west of Jinan, the capital of Shandong Province.

This city is Shanding’s political, commercial, financial, technological and cultural centre. The project is located in the Western Station district, which has become very popular due to the Olympic Games.

Lashan river constitutes an essential landscape element within this area. The area is made up of three big elements, which are separated by two main roads.

The theatre is located at the south, whereas the exhibition centre is located at the west. The project therefore proposes a wide square at the south-west, thus enhancing the site entry.

This «unifiying» building emphasizes the site’s assets and creates a new image for Jinan city. Architectural form of "Luo Yun Quan" design concept, architectural ups and downs, full of tension, fully embodies the capital Springs profound historical heritage and culture.

This complex is comprised of three major public buildings: the Visual Arts centre, the library and the performing arts centre featuring a &000 seat auditorium connected to the folk associations' house and to rehearsal studios for opera, theatre, folk dance, acrobats and orchestra companies.

This huge cultural complex also features a 2000-space parking lot, a shopping centre and a tower boasting a hotel and offices. The whole complex is designed around a plaza evisioned as one of the new city's living centres.

This crystal-cut architecture is brought together by a giant aluminum canopy with a random perforation modulated by the use of premises located at the back. This composition creates a laced pattern in the sky of Jinan.

The variations the outer skin of the building were generated through parametric modules, with a design inspiration taken from the spring pattern pixelated photo processing. Openings in these panels are positioned to maximize the building’s natural lighting and shading capabilities.

The main building includes an art gallery, a library, a public art gallery and ancillary buildings; two public and ancillary facilities, including conferences, exhibitions, training centers, youth experience center, bookstore and business functions.

Location: Jinan, Shandong, China 
Architects: AS architecture studio 
Structure: MAP3 
Lighting: 8'18'' 
Library Design Consultancy: Roux Rouillet 
Stage Acoustics Professionals: the Radio and Television Broadcasting, Film and Television Design and Research Institute 
Construction:Construction Investment Co., Jinan City West 
Area: 38,000 sqm 
Year: 2013 
Client: Jinan West Zone Construction Investment Co. 
Photo: Yves Chan You, Brando Posocco