Xi Xi Yi Hao Building / M.A.O.

Xi Xi Yi Hao Building / M.A.O. - Cityscape, Facade, WindowsXi Xi Yi Hao Building / M.A.O. - Windows, Cityscape, FacadeXi Xi Yi Hao Building / M.A.O. - Windows, FacadeXi Xi Yi Hao Building / M.A.O. - Windows, Waterfront, Facade, GardenXi Xi Yi Hao Building / M.A.O. - More Images+ 20

  • Architects: M.A.O.
  • Area Area of this architecture project Area:  57000
  • Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2018
  • Photographs
    Photographs:Jianghe Zeng
Xi Xi Yi Hao Building / M.A.O. - Waterfront, Facade, Cityscape
© Jianghe Zeng

Text description provided by the architects. West Lake is a visiting card-level scenic spot in Hangzhou. If the West Lake carries too many people's yearning for and sustenance for Hangzhou, the Xixi Wetland is only a back garden. It has almost reached the realm of seclusion of "the higher level of reclusive life is reclusion in the city" after getting rid of the bustling and noisy of the secular world.

Xi Xi Yi Hao Building / M.A.O. - Cityscape, Facade, Windows
© Jianghe Zeng

Nowadays, the rise of Internet companies such as Alibaba, Taobao, and Alipay in Hangzhou has made Hangzhou possess the attributes of hyper-modern. Hangzhou is no longer just picturesque heaven on earth, but also an Internet city in China and even in the world.

Xi Xi Yi Hao Building / M.A.O. - Windows, Waterfront, Facade, Garden
© Jianghe Zeng
Xi Xi Yi Hao Building / M.A.O. - Facade, Garden
© Jianghe Zeng

Hangzhou Xi Xi Yi Hao can be said to guard the gateway of Xi Xi Yi Hao and has irreplaceable landscape advantages. The total building area of the project is 57,000 square meters, the greening rate is 35.2%, and the volume rate is only 1.2%. It consists of 12 single duplex clubs, 6 single villas clubs, 6 high-end panoramic business buildings, 2 hill-piled business complexes, and 1 theme catering club. The project is positioned as a "world-class enterprise club cluster" and is a garden-like complex building community that integrates business clubs, personality studios, high-end business, featured catering, and entertainment in function.

Xi Xi Yi Hao Building / M.A.O. - Cityscape
Birdview. Image Courtesy of M.A.O.

The starting point of the design--vision
Xixi Wetland is a low wetland, which does not have the landscape with strong impact and belongs to the small-scale landscape water type. In other words, the sight line of people to enjoy the scenery is horizontal or even below, and our base is separated from the wetland by 20 meters of greenbelt and municipal road. Therefore, in fact, there is a certain distance between the base and the wetland. Even if you look at it horizontally, you have to go through the barrier of 20 meters green belt. Xixi Wetland is wrapped in the green belt and does not have a landscape effect between them.

Xi Xi Yi Hao Building / M.A.O. - Windows, Facade
© Jianghe Zeng
Xi Xi Yi Hao Building / M.A.O. - Windows, Facade
© Jianghe Zeng

So, how to see the wetland?
The design team analyzed the sight line in detail and concluded that only by raising the point of view can we see the landscape of Xixi Wetland when our sight line can cross the treetops of the green median strip. Since we can't deal with the sightseeing of all the building at a limited height of 24 meters, we make the best use of this available resource. The products of the club are arranged in turn along the a ray of landscape side on the side of Xixi Wetland. People can overlook the whole landscape of Xixi when the space here is elevated, which makes the landscape resources of Xixi are fully exploited.

Xi Xi Yi Hao Building / M.A.O. - Windows, Facade
© Jianghe Zeng

The next problem shift, How do other building spaces as hinterland experience Xixi Wetland?
Facing this derivative problem, the designer introduced the river system into the walled-in courtyard space by adopting the method of creating wetland space experience internally. At the same time, the designer adorned the dotted buildings to form the green island, meaning the oasis in the wetland. Furthermore, the two corners at the far end of the base were made into geometric "hills" to form a three-dimensional wetland space. These two complex buildings are not only the extension of the landscape system but also a good "mountain scenery" of the internal wetland. After adopting such architectural space skill, the interior space also enjoys the spatial experience of vertical wetland.

Xi Xi Yi Hao Building / M.A.O. - Windows, Facade
© Jianghe Zeng

After the extreme application of the two spatial skills of maximizing viewing effect and optimizing experience effect, the "gathering area of enterprise clubs" beyond the imagination of customers is presented. The design team creates an unexpected spatial form through rigorous logical analysis and visual deduction, while its internal logic is rigorous. Designers have not done much decoration on the facade of such a geometric form as a mathematical growth, but express the internal modernity and efficiency of the enterprise club through pure virtual-real relationship, material contrast, and gentle narrative techniques. And this kind of relatively implicit architectural expression also conforms to the intrinsic values of Chinese architecture.

Xi Xi Yi Hao Building / M.A.O. - Facade, Cityscape
© Jianghe Zeng

Under the background of Xixi Wetland, the Xixi No. 1 is not conspicuous and maintains an implicit and humble attitude to dialogue with nature, which is also the expression of the reserved temperament peculiar to Chinese architectural culture in modern architecture. The architect does not emphasize the sense of self-existence in the project, but provides the best spatial experience to the end-user by using spatial skills, which may represent the essence of the design of M.A.O.

Xi Xi Yi Hao Building / M.A.O. - Windows, Cityscape, Facade
© Jianghe Zeng

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Project location

Address:Opposite the North gate of Xixi Wetland, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China

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Location to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.
About this office
Cite: "Xi Xi Yi Hao Building / M.A.O." 18 Sep 2019. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/919424/xi-xi-yi-hao-mao> ISSN 0719-8884

© Jianghe Zeng

西溪壹号 / M.A.O.

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