Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University Administration & Information Centre / Aedas
image courtesy Aedas, ltd
Architects: Andy Wen – Aedas
Location: Suzhou, PRC, China
Project team: Larry Wen, Johnson Ma, Kevin Wang, David Fung, Kevin Yan, Hui Liu, Jessica Cao, Lily Xin, Anthony Ruan, Weiwei Wei, Huiying Huang & Elizabeth Tse
Client: Suzhou Industrial Park Education Development & Investment Company
Civil Engineer: Suzhou Architecture Design & Research Institute Co., Ltd.
Design year: 2008
Rendering: Silkroad Digital Technology Co., Ltd
wind flow diagram
Being part of the Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University new campus, Aedas project Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University Administration & Information Centre has been honoured by the Architecture Award of the Asia Pacific Commercial Property Awards 2009. The project is designed by Andy Wen, Design Director of China.
Taihu Stone diagram
The Administration & Information Centre is situated in a beautiful environment inside Suzhou Industrial Park, where there is a harmonious coexistence of the city’s rich cultural traditions and its rapid economic development with convenient traffic. It has a complicated program consisting of administration centre, learning and resources centre, training centre and student activities centre. All of the programs are connected by the voids inside the building following the concept of Taihu stone, the ornamental stone used for decorating traditional Chinese gardens.
image courtesy Aedas, ltd
Eroded over time by wind and water this limestone is found on dozens of islands and along miles of shoreline surrounding the Taihu lake located on the west side of the city of Suzhou. The stone is found in a variety of colours, shapes and sizes and was appreciated by the Chinese scholars during the ancient time. As such the voids have become the functional spaces which allow the building to interact with the surrounding environment and become a vessel which attracts people to go inside.
image courtesy Aedas, ltd
The Administration & Information Centre is adjacent to the two main promenade axes in the campus. The laboratories are located on the east side and the classroom building on the north. It will be a dynamic gathering space in the future.
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- image courtesy Aedas, ltd
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- image courtesy Aedas, ltd
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- image courtesy Aedas, ltd
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- image courtesy Aedas, ltd
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- exploded diagram
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- wind flow diagram
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28 comments »
took them about 2 seconds to photocopy morphosis work..aedas never disappoints
nice concept….but where is context ???…this building can be anywhere in the world…on any site !!!….sounds like iconic building
another kid, talking about context. Listen, the context for them is the fact that there is no context. The site is almost like brand new. Open up your eyes, kido. Responding to context is an idea. Going against the context is also an idea. In architecture, responding to context is not a rule but an idea. Maybe you heard too much about context at school from your professors and critics.
What do you mean kido, there’s no context? There’s a big traffic intersection, a waterway and a social housing project of some sort. My child, if that is not context, what is?
Gorgos, did you not notice that the housing or whatever units are part of the masterplan? They are not pre-exisiting. Haha, you did not even see something that is so obvious.
I like the inner space.
The fasade is quite normal.
Love it – especially the ramp on the main visual.. great for mountain hikers..
agree totally. they must be using moutain climbing gear i think. pikes, ropes.. u get the idea..
dont you guys think it looks like a building by Herzog and de Meuron? cant remember which one, the best is the interior space render!!
got it looks like the H&DM river tunes, Elbe philharmonic hall on the outside and the inside like a Ghery project, men hope it gets built but its so hard to see this two opposite stiles together.
the porosity of the rock as an inspiration for the form is perfect for building trying to engage its people. Very cool and very smart.
Im getting an uneasy feeling when studying this project. There are too many things going on that look too random giving an overall messy result.
I dont get the base-part of the project, and I dont get it why there’s a cube on top. The context of the setting certainly doesnt seem to justify it.
using a physical attribute of an object, not its immanent characteristic… as a concept is an easy out.
that design firm will design a building that looks like an apple if they design mac.
everyone is so negative, i really like the idea. especially the use of the wind tunnel!
Looks horrible! Just like a rock from universe… It doesn’t fit the area
The rock concept layered in different activity zones is a bit overboard….and injecting green stuff (it’s the in thing though) is just not convincing…its time these guys start showing the built stuff now…….
I like the contrast berween the harsh, box like exterior form and the natural curved, free flowing interior. Nice Work!
Carved building. Nice.
Aedes, this is the second project i see on Archdaily. Please… send some details and show the actual quality. Nice pics are not enough, convince the community the well-thought concept will work in a real world environment. Diagrams are empty without thinking about the men and women constructing the building. Ever thought about water seaming into the cladding? Yes, everything is solvable, any problem is to be cleared in the process… but please… show it!
Brian, I think this one will fit better in Prague… just make a few changes and I’ll give you the A
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