© JDS

Back in June, we shared JDS‘ winning mixed use project for Hangzhou, China.  Conceptualized as the iconic link that fuses two prominent parts of the city, the Hangzhou H project is a dynamic experiment of formal expression.  The tiered volume opens pedestrian connections at the ground level, and supports a generous landscape that functions as a rain water retainer on the roof level.   The young firm has just received the necessary building permits, and will begin construction in March of 2012.  We’ll keep you covered on the building’s progress, and be sure to view our previous coverage of the winning competition proposal here.

© JDS

JDS has just been awarded first prize for their Hangzhou Waves scheme – a competition entry that called for the design of not one, but two buildings for the financial district of Hangzhou Xintiandi of Hangzhou, China.    The two sloping volumes offer different exterior expressions and hold different programmatic entities (a hotel and an office building); yet, the forms are guided by similar attitudes regarding sunlight, green roofs, an active ground plane, etc, which immediately creates a strong relationship between the pair.

More about the winning competition entry after the break. read more »

Courtesy of LYCS Architecture

The new office of LYCS Architecture is a renovation design of a tower penthouse in downtown Hangzhou, with a panorama view of the West Lake World Heritage. The original space with is an non-professional add-on storage room to the tower roof composed of elevator mechanical room, fire escape doors and slanted drainage surfaces. The idea of this design is to create the juxtaposition of this abandoned storage space and the new office, through the material homogeneity to heterogeneity and temporal attenuation of space.

Architect: LYCS Architecture
Location: Hangzhou, China
Project Team: Hao Ruan, Xu Li, Peng Wang
Project Year: 2011
Project Area: 350 sqm
Photographs: Courtesy of LYCS Architecture

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Courtesy IAPA

The Australian architecture firm IAPA recently won the South Song Museum Heritage Park competition and has wished to share their winning design with out readers here at ArchDaily. Follow after the break for an accompanying description and images from the architects.
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© Jan Siefke Photography

After perennial design and construction phase the congress center of the new city administration of Hangzhou, China  is completed. The concept and design of the facade was made by Peter Ruge Architekten in collaboration with Prof Wang Xiaosong from DBH GmbH. Completed images of the facade and a brief description from the architects is available after the break.
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view from the north / © JDS Architects

As the first prize winner in the Hangzhou Gateway Competition, JDS Architects shared with us their building concept, which is to create a gateway that is neither closing-off or dividing the city. The 15-story tower features offices, restaurants, post office, a terraced roof garden and a sunken passage that leads through a shopping center. More images and architects’ description after the break. read more »

© MVRDV

Hangzhou urban planning bureau has announced MVRDV winner of the international design competition for the China Comic and Animation Museum (CCAM) in Hangzhou, China. MVRDV won with a design referring to the speech balloon: a series of eight balloon shaped volumes create an internally complex museum experience of in total 30.000m2. Part of the project is also a series of parks on islands, a public plaza and a 13.000m2 expo centre. Construction start is envisioned for 2012, the total budget is 92 million Euro.

More images and architect’s description after the break. read more »

Courtesy Peter Ruge Architekten

Berlin based design team of Peter Ruge Architekten has shared with us their project, an adaptive reuse of Xintiandi Factory saturated with new program. Supplemental images of the project and a narrative from the architects is available after the break. read more »

© Foster + Partners

Construction is underway for the sustainable landmark CITIC Bank headquarters tower.  Foster + Partners design for the 100 meter high skyscraper in Hangzhou, China intends to establish and iconic presence for the Bank in a prominent location within the new central business district situated adjacent to the Qian Jiang River.

Resonating with elements of traditional Chinese culture, the tower’s form draws inspiration from the shape of the ancient ‘dou’ or ‘ding’ vessel, a traditional symbol of wealth, dignity and stability.   The facade of the diagonally-braced structure  pulls inwards near the base to form a symmetrical V-shape across the south-facing elevation. Wrapped in a diagrid lattice, the floor plates widen as the tower rises expanding to provide panoramic views of the river and the surrounding public plaza.

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© PAL Design Consultants

Architects: PAL Design Consultants
Location: Hangzhou, China
Project year: 2011
Photographs: Courtesy of PAL Design Consultants

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© Peter Bennetts

Architects: Hassell
Location: Hangzhou, China
Client: Alibaba Group
Project year: 2009
Photographs: Peter Bennetts

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Canal View © Steven Holl Architects

When we stopped by Steven Holl’s office in New York, Senior Partner Chris McVoy spoke to us about the firm’s latest project in Hangzhou – an International Tourism Complex. The firm has a growing presence in China and, arguably, some of the team’s strongest works (such as their Linked Hybrid and Horizontal Skyscraper) are situated throughout the region. With their most recent win, the firm will redevelop the site of the oxygen and boiler plants in Hangzhou to create a master plan comprised of residential and cultural components.

More about the project, including an video with McVoy, after the break. read more »

© Serie Architects

In an adaptive re-use project, Serie Architects, Grimshaw of London and Pysall Ruge Arkitekten of Berlin were asked to renovate four factories in Hangzhou that would form a new urban core for the city center.  For Serie’s factory, the firm decided to preserve the unique16 ft tall main hall of the factory and to “accentuate the industrial drama of this massive void by restoring the concrete truss roof structure and by bringing additional light down through a newly glazed lantern.”  The design truly feeds upon the existing conditions, as the newer programs are situated on a large plinth, respecting the historic presence of the factory.

More about the project after  the break. read more »

© Shu He

Architects: Atelier Feichang Jianzhu
Location: Jianggan District, Hangzhou, China
Principal Designer: Chang Yung Ho
Design Team: Lin Yi-hsuan, Yu Yue, Wu Xia, Suiming Wang
Client: HongKong Tang Palace Food&Beverage Group Co., LTD.
Project Area: 2,460 sqm
Project Year: 2010
Photographs: Shu He

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NBBJ, in collaboration and partnership with CCDI, have designed the Hangzhou Sports Park: A vibrant, pedestrian-centric sports and recreation development located in the midst of Hangzhou’s new urban environment. Situated on the Qian Tang riverfront opposite of the new Central Business District, and encompassing a site of approximately 400,000 square meters, the sports park is seen as an opportunity for creating picturesque and sustainable public spaces that are often elusive in the newly constructed urbanism of China. This new place making will be accomplished while intelligently balancing the long-term commercial viability of the sports development.

See more images and architect’s description after the break. read more »

UNStudio‘s new mixed-use Raffles City is situated near the Qiangtan River in Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province, China.   This Raffles City marks CapitaLand’s sixth large-scale shopping center, including those in Singapore, Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu and Bahrain.  For UNStudio’s design, a sleek twisting tower will provide residential and hotel accommodates in its 300,000 square meter total floor area.  The project aims to highlight the area and attract visitors, “In the chain of events and attractions of Hangzhou, like the West Lake area and the commercial centre, the Raffles City project will be at the core of the Qianjiang New Town area and contribute to the recognition of this area as a new destination in the city,” explained the architects.

More about Raffles City and more images after the break. read more »