Designed by Aedas, their competition winning proposal to design a bay front, mixed-use development in Wu Yuan Wan, Xiamen, China is comprised of a shopping mall, a five-star hotel and two SOHO towers. With a total gross floor area of 175,000 square meters, their design aims to become the centerpiece of a new master plan. Ultimately, it will be a new retail landmark and a well integrated complex that responds to its watery surrounding. More images and architects’ description after the break.
Inspired by the ancient Chinese character for water, the three curvilinear strips define the podium massing. The SOHO and hotel towers are designed with a simple north-south circulation flow that echoes the water flow from north to south and responds to different nodal points around the site. The towers are aligned in the west side of the site, creating a terrace massing for the podium where mall patrons can enjoy the beautiful bay view of Wu Yuan Wan on the terrace and rooftop.
The architecture for the retail mall takes its inspiration from ripples and interference in the water's fluid surface. The design team broke away from the conventional opaque box of retail design and used layered vertical blades with various degrees of opacities to allow visual interaction between the interior and exterior.
Architect: Aedas
Location: Xiamen, China
Client: C&D
Gross Floor Area: 175,000 square meters
Competition: Scheduled for 2015
