Oct Design Museum / Studio Pei-Zhu
Architects: Studio Pei-Zhu
Location: Shenzhen, China
Principal Architect: Pei Zhu
Design Team: Xiaoming Zeng, Fan He, Jun Ke, Chongxia Jiao, Xiao Yin, Si Li
Structure Consultant: Xueyi Fu
Completion: 2011
Area: 5,000 sqm
Photographs: Courtesy of Studio Pei-Zhu
World Horticultural Expo Pavilion / UNStudio + !Melk
Architect: UNStudio
Landscape Architect: !Melk Landscape Architecture
Location: Qingdao, China
Client: Office of 2014 Qingdao World Horticultural Expo Executive Committee
Building site: 35.000m2
Program: Main Expo Pavilion with integrated Landscape Design
Status: Awarded Competition
For the International Horticultural Expo 2011 in Xi’an, we followed the design, construction and completion of Plasma Studio’s geometric design that extended from the grounds into the water. Currently, Qingdao, a major city in the Shandong province of Eastern China, is preparing for the 2014 Expo under the thematic notion “Let life walk into nature.” The event, which will be held from April through October, will feature three different pavilions (a theme pavilion, plant pavilion and garden culture center) and seven different themed areas that will display local horticulture and allow visitors to experience international gardens, such as displays from Europe, America and Oceania. The focal point of the Expo will be marked by a 28,000 m2 thematic pavilion designed by UNStudio and !Melk Landscape Architecture. The design focuses on the relationship between Science and Nature, using scientific achievement as a source of inspiration to “communicate the essential generative and structural principles of nature through architectural gesture,” explained the firm.
More about the pavilion after the break.
Re-Thinking Shanghai Proposal / Vinícius Philot, Fabiano Ravaglia and Gibran Duarte
In their proposal for the Re-thinking Shanghai competition, Vinícius Philot, Fabiano Ravaglia, and Gibran Duarte aims at transforming the big metropolis through biological methamorphosis. In their “Let’s paint Shanghai with fireflies” design, they give thought to the question, How could we make Shanghai, an already trend setting city within Asian and global scenario, also a reference for urban sustainable growth? The firefly system will be a sub-effect of a new way of thinking the public space. More images and architects’ description after the break.
Yellow River Art Centre / Waa
Designed by Waa (We Architech Anonymous), the Yinchuan Art museum will be the first project developed within this new arts district centre. The project is named the yellow river art centre (YRAC) due to its close proximity to the yellow river which has been coined ‘the cradle of Chinese civilization’ by previous generations that helped protect and provide for early settlers. Located within 20km of the city centre, the main function of their design will be to knit subsequent communities together enhancing the well-being of future local social infrastructure. More images and architects’ description after the break.
In Progress: Anhui Broadcasting & TV Centre / NDA
Architects: NDA New Design Architecture
Location: Hefei, Anhui Province, China
Study Type: Architectural Design
Main Architect: Emmanuel Delarue
Site Area: 133,314 sqm
Building Area: 320,000 sqm
Delivery Date: 2013
Photographs: Courtesy of NDA New Design Architecture
In Progress: Wuzhen Theater / Artech Architects
Architect: Kris Yao | Artech Architects
Location: Zhejiang, China
Clients: Wuzhen Tourism Development Co., Ltd
Design Team: Taipei: Kuo-Chien Shen, Winnie Wang, Wen-Li Liu, Jake Sun, Andy Chang, Kevin Lin, Shanghai: Wen-Hong Chu, Fei-Chun Ying, Nai-Wen Cheng, Chu-Yi Hsu, Qi-Shen Wu, Jane jiang, Lei Feng
Architect of Record: Shanghai Institute of Architectural Design & Research Co. Ltd
Total Floor Area: 21,750 sqm
Photographs: Courtesy of Artech Architects
“Flip/City” / PinkCloud.DK
“Flip/City”, a proposal by PinkCloud.DK which was shortlisted in the 2012 Rethinking Shanghai competition, proposes a new urban identity for Shanghai as a model for the development of future cities. By flipping the horizontal cityscape to the vertical, footprints of Shanghai’s existing typologies, only visible by plane, embody the new face of the vertical city. By expanding Shanghai up along the vertical plane, unused urban voids will be activated. More images and architects’ description after the break.
Cube Tube in Jinhua / SAKO Architects
Architects: SAKO Architects
Location: Jinhua, China
Project Team: Keiichiro Sako, Yoko Fujii, Jiye Zhang
Project Area: 13,421 sqm
Project Year: 2010
Photographs: Misae Hiromatsu
Pixel in Beijing Modelroom / SAKO Architects
Architects: SAKO Architects
Project Team: Keiichiro Sako, Ariyo Mogami, Ken-ichi Kurimoto
Project Area: 4,800 sqm
Project Year: 2009
Photographs: Misae Hiromatsu
Yingkou Convention and Exposition Center / 2DEFINE Architecture
2DEFINE Architecture, with local partner Dalian Urban Planning & Design Institute, recently won an assignment to lead the design of an extraordinary new convention center in Yingkou, China. The project consists of a four-story, 70,000-square-meter (750,000-square-foot) facility in a city of 2.2 million people located in the northwest province of Liaoning on the Bohai Sea. A unique, sea urchin-shaped building created to reflect its natural environment, the facility will be the centerpiece of a new harbor created off of a satellite central business district in the port city. More images and architects’ description after the break.
Bama Eco Resort / davidclovers
The design by davidclovers for the Bama Eco Resort includes two key areas of an eco-tourist resort project that intends to be a flagship project for China demonstrating how architecture can both re-work and reinvigorate sensitive habitat sites. Using innovative construction methods and design processes, both projects “farm” the existing terrain of the site finding its latent potentials. More images and architects’ description after the break.
Spruce Art Center / LYCS Architecture
Designed by LYCS Architecture, the Spruce Art Center recently commenced construction in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. Flush with mature spruce trees and a pre-existing one story abandoned structure, the design is a mixture of two fundamental challenges in architecture: to evoke new spatial meaning while reconciling an existing structure, and to produce a formal language that can be dynamic and strong, yet carefully caress spruce trees. More images and architects’ description after the break.
‘Water Memory’ – Rethinking Shanghai Competition Proposal / Ayrat Khusnutdinov, Zhang Liheng, Alexey Bychkov
‘Water Memory’, a proposal by Ayrat Khusnutdinov, Zhang Liheng, and Alexey Bychkov for the Rethinking Shanghai competition, focused on a strategic vision to manifest the undeletable importance of Suzhou creek waterfront to Shanghai. Using existing bridges as the main axis of their development and arranging high-rise commercial areas along them, they created a cohesive system that would connect now fragmented past and recent developments where water wouldn’t divide to play a connective role. More images and architects’ description after the break.
Guangzhou Daily Group Culture Center / IAPA
IAPA shared with us their proposal for the Guangzhou Daily Group of Culture Center, a large multi-purpose building complex, which recently won the excellence award in the International Architecture Design Competition. The center, which includes office, exhibition, commercial, hotel, culture, and service space, creates a building complex with a vivid image, unique content and regional cultural features. More images and architects’ description after the break.
Villa A / QSJW Architects
Architects: QSJW Architects - Yki FO, Yogurt Qian
Location: Shanghai, China
Site Area: 485 sqm
Building Area: 206 sqm
Floor Area: 500 sqm
Completion: 2012
Photographs: Courtesy of QSJW Architects
Video: CCTV Headquarters / OMA
Enjoy this interesting footage captured by Tomas Koolhaas – son of Rem Koolhaas – in February 2012 of the recently completed China Central Television (CCTV) Headquarters in Beijing. The monumental structure took eight years to complete and is OMA‘s first major building in China, as well as their largest project to date. The building is planned for occupancy later this year to broadcast the London 2012 Olympics. Check out our previous coverage for more building information.
Continue after the break to view a short clip inside the CCTV building during construction!
Urban Creek / ATOL Architects
Located in the Tongzhou district of Beijing, Urban Creek is an attempt at having architecture merge within various spheres of public space. Designed by ATOL Architects, the project is focuses around the idea that architecture should be conceived as a cultural connective tissue that creates opportunities to link spaces and neighborhoods together. In redefining the very notion of mixed-use from a free standing commercial box/podium/tower typology, this design aims at creating an ever evolving city center to reconnect with its secret past. More images and architects’ description after the break.
Bicycle Club / NL Architects
Amsterdam-based NL Architects have been asked to design a Bicycle Club for a large resort in Hainan, China. They have proposed a glass enclosed pavilion capped with a rooftop cycling arena that embodies curves reminiscent of the traditional and functional pagoda. Visitors can rent a bike and join the fun in the open-air velodrome or simply visit the club’s cafe and be entertained while sitting on the large staircases found in the middle of the oval structure.
Continue after the break for more images.
Youth Center of Qingpu / Atelier Deshaus
Architects: Atelier Deshaus - Liu Yichun, Chen Yifeng
Location: Huake Rd, Qingpu, Shanghai, China
Design Team: Liu Yichun, Chen Yifeng, Gao Lin, Liu Qian, Wang Longhai
Completion: 2012
Building Area: 14,360 sqm
Site Area: 10,906 sqm
Photographs: Yao Li
Infinity Loop Bridge / 10 Design + Buro Happold
Creating a gateway entry to south China’s new planned commercial hub, the winning competition proposal by 10 Design + Buro Happold for their Infinity Loop Bridge marks the connection of the Shizimen Canal to the Pearl River Delta. The 10 and Buro Happold team set out to create a simple and elegant structural solution for a bridge that would be a visual focal point both within the Shizimen District itself and along the Pearl River Delta coastline. More images and architects’ description after the break.
Chongqing Mountain & City Sales Office / One Plus Partnership
Architects: One Plus Partnership Limited
Location: Chongqing, China
Designers Involved: Ajax Law Ling Kit, Virginia Lung
Area: 1,600 sqm
Photographers: Ajax Law Ling Kit, Virginia Lung
