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Architects: Nanjing Tianhua
- Area: 1445 m²
- Year: 2018
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Photographs:Jianghe Zeng
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Manufacturers: Appleton Special Glass, Shanghai Xumo New Material Technology, Taibo Kunshan Glass
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Lead Architects: Jing Zhang, Angang Zhou, Ming Wang
Text description provided by the architects. As Louis Kahn said: “All material in nature, the mountains and the streams and the air and we, are made of Light which has been spent, and this crumpled mass called material casts a shadow, and the shadow belongs to Light.” We use the light as the director, shadow as the protagonist, and space narrative to guide people to experience individuality and unique light & shadow space.
This project is located in a city park. The site is narrow and the surrounding environment is noisy. We designed a box, a mirror-like waterscape, and an L- shaped cloister to counter the narrowness of the site. The irregular plot is the parking lot. The reflection of the building merges with the mottled light and shadow in the corridor, which continuously carves and extends the space and endows the space with tranquility.
Light & Shadow Carving
We strive to unify the interior and the exterior and rationalize the logic of the space experience. Covering the building's facade with highly-transparent glass, ultra-white U-shaped glass, stone and aluminum plate, the constant contract of the transparent, translucent and opaque parts in the light and shadow becomes more harmonious.
The Ultra-white U-shaped glass has a soft and translucent texture in daylight. The continuous horizontal of light gray stone records the flow of the time when the light changes.
Light & Shadow Space
Light is the soul of architectural space, so we designed three different light spaces in the interior: the light lobby, the light display area, and the light leisure area.
People in the upper and lower layers of the "light lobby" are connected by a linear and delicate two-story space, creating a spatial dialogue; under the light and shadow, the poetry of space and materials is inadvertently presented.
The skylight of the “light display area” is square, where the light passes through folded aluminum sheets to form shadows; refracted and diffused by the light grey stones, the light roams around the rhythmic short walls around, giving space the unique temperament of a museum.
"Leisure area of light" interconnections with the corridor and the leisure area with the large rectangular side hall. Light filters through the roof louvers, recording the interactions between time and space.
Light & Shadow Sequence
The building cleverly borrows the street scenery, presenting a tranquil and humble attitude behind the walls, in response to the bustling city.
In the courtyard space, the buildings and the landscapes integrate each other, enlarging the narrow space and enriching the space experience.
Fragmented scenes in the L-shaped cloister, leave people with expectations for the venues ahead.
The folded staircase at the end of the recreation area looks like a sculpture, suggesting an important streamline to the second floor.
Conclusion
The buildings are hidden in the noisy city simplify the complex, letting light tell the story in space, guiding people to shuttle between light and shadow, feeling the dialogue between time and space, and appreciating the beauty of life.
