The site which is an important component of the planning of Xiashan Ecological & Economic Development Zone is located at the north side of Xiashan Mountain. The new headquarters building will provide the 271 Education Group with office space of 20000 square meters and a hotel reception center of 24000 square meters. Moreover, the new building will become the new landmark of the young development zone.
The majestic macro landscape surrounding the site constitutes the only physical constraint faced by the design. Some necessary contrast between the size of the new building and environment around has to be emphasized properly, so that the presentation of the corporality of the building will highlight the function as the landmark of the new town. Meanwhile, the building should not be so abrupt that separates the mountain in the south from people’s perspectives. We make full use of the width of the site intend to create the contrast between holonomic geometrical shape and field plagues with natural morphology. The horizontal building forms a peaceful and humble stance talking with the mountain. The landscape design continues the pattern of simple geometric partition.
In order to strengthen the horizontal extension volume of the building, we use a graphic vocabulary of two party continuous. This elevation emphasizes the integrality for the external space at the macro level, while attempting to break the possible oppressions caused by the over 200 meters continued interface through the deconstruction effect of the elevation motif elements in human’s perspective. The white matte metal skin covering the whole building makes the certain relationship of difference but keeping communication between the building and environment become more expressive. The red color plays as an essential prompt in some important space nodes.
As the headquarters of an education institution, it should be an important component internalized in the design that to take care of the people and give some poetic expression to the space. While keeping the integrity of the external form and environment, we use subtraction in the internal space of the building. We make a series of courtyards separated by frame elements, natural light and landscapes in the two directions of horizontal and vertical in order to break the completeness of the interior space. The courtyards in different volume and appearances relate to spaces in different functions in response to the potential complexity of space activities. Simultaneously, these courtyards belong to several large space systems so that the relative independence and the continuity of internal flow lines of each function block can be maintained.
The design spreads around a contradiction about “big” and “small”, and creates finally a container in which a communication between people and the environment of the building town space can take occurrence. During the process from plan to completion, the project team has experienced a series problem center on cost of the building, construction quality, construction schedule and so on. We are particularly grateful to the client of President Zhao Fengping, Wang jianqing and their manage team who provide a recurrent support for the design process. Thank for the interior design with the theme of “uncut jade” from team of JCD studio who makes the original intention of architectural design be implemented, continued and sublimated.
