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Architects: Atelier Y
- Area: 56000 m²
- Year: 2019
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Photographs:Zhong Chen
Text description provided by the architects. The project sits in a relatively discrete downland in the cul-de-sac of Tianhe Software Park, Guangzhou, hemmed in this horseshoe-shaped massif with a beautiful natural landscape, fronting a lake and set against the hill. Variation in topographic height being significant, the construction land is narrow and irregularly shaped. Building height is set under 20 meters, as required by urban planning, with a respect for circumferential hilly mass. Interestingly, the design team was involved in urban-planning this area years ago and determining the height limit, which now challenges them as an architectural constraint.
The design complies with the identity of the surrounding natural environment by dividing the architecture into several square functional masses, spread out along the site and “enchased” in the green hilly setting. Different buildings are connected via see-through interspaces, as if using hinges to resolve the disconnectivity in the topographic tortuousness, helping the architecture blend in the natural environ.
The architectural style exudes a highlighted physical presence, where an accentuated volume, akin to a boulder, contrasts comfortably with the hill and lake, while offering the desired indoor lighting.
The building connections are designed as “service” portals, ranging from entrances, restrooms, transport hubs and external staircases, the must-have passages for dwellers. An “all-dimensional garden” approach is adopted, enabling a cheerful public space by introducing sunlight, greenery and expansive landscape in line of sight.
Two main office buildings are placed along the east and north of the site, connected by the ground-floor cafeteria. Staff canteen and gym can be found on the west, while access to the office buildings from the central lake is realized by a covered bridge. This design encourages IT workers to refrain from sedentary work and instead, during recess, dining or workout, walk through the open terraces, staircases and covered bridge and savor the gardenly ambience.
Interior space is managed with a rugged stroke, with unadorned, concrete-only columns, beams and ceilings, giving a free rein to the electromechanical system in its layout. Closed spaces, like conference rooms, are implanted as standalone boxes, a measure of adaptive readiness with spatial flexibility.
