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Non-Linear Chronologies: 7 Chinese Firms Designing Architecture Against the March of Time
CategoriesArchitecture

Non-Linear Chronologies: 7 Chinese Firms Designing Architecture Against the March of Time

By Zarkon Group,

Architizer’s 12th Annual A+Awards are officially underway! Sign up for key program updates and prepare your submission ahead of the Main Entry Deadline on December 15th.  

Can a building exist simultaneously in the past, present and future? Time-defying architecture is a groundbreaking movement that says, yes, it can. The approach, more than a stylistic exercise, challenges the conventional linear approach of architectural history, integrating eras seemingly seamlessly through a singular design.

Across China, this architectural philosophy is gaining remarkable traction, reflecting a unique cultural junction of reverence and rapid modernization. Chinese architecture firms are at the forefront of this movement, driven by deeply engrained historical consciousness and a drive for global architectural leadership. This fusion of ancient heritage with futuristic vision highlights a unique approach to preserving cultural identity while embracing the technological revolution.

Key to the practice lies in historical knowledge and a precise application of it alongside the technological advancements of the modern world – architects must adeptly navigate between eras, employing techniques from Brutalism to biomimicry, with a sensitivity that avoids pastiche. The seven A+Award winners highlighted showcase innovative structures and materials that have created spaces that are both forward-thinking and multi-layered in time.

Bache Community Center

By DEDANG DESIGN, Suzhou, China.

Jury Award Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Community Centers

Bache Community Center by DEDANG DESIGN, Suzhou, China. Photographs by Dedang Design

The Bache Community Center is a modern building located in Suzhou, designed by DEDANG DESIGN. The center is situated in the old street of Bache, near the historic Grand Canal and is part of a micro-renewal project which aims to revitalize the area in anticipation of the new Soochow University campus.

The building successfully combines contemporary design with a deep sense of heritage and place, with the idea behind the design being to blend the old with the new. Using a “column-free” design, the center appears to “float” above the ground, creating an open and airy space that contrasts with the surrounding cramped quarters of the old street. In a bid to respect the heritage of the site the center has a courtyard that is raised and sunken, surrounded by old bricks, which offers a communal space while incorporating a contemporary architectural language. A ginkgo tree, which is a symbol of life and connects the building to the changing seasons, was included in the atrium.

PUSHINE

By Chongqing Qimo Architectural Design Consulting, Chongqing, China.

Jury Award Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Hotels and Resorts

PUSHINE by Chongqing Qimo Architectural Design Consulting, Chongqing, China

PUSHINE, a stunning resort by Chongqing Qimo Architectural Design Consulting Co., Ltd., is located in the peaceful Jinfo Mountain area of Nanchuan District, Chongqing. Completed in 2021, it is a modern hideaway that incorporates ancient Buddhist and Taoist principles of Zen. The hotel offers a contemporary escape, but it pays homage to age-old concepts and creating an environment that is ideal for rest and contemplation.

The flow of the mountain stream inspires the design of the hotel. It includes cottages and bridges set at different elevations, building a connection between architecture and the natural landscape. PUSHINE is a modern retreat that is a seamless blend of contemporary resort architecture with traditional Chinese philosophy that finds a harmonious balance, offering visitors a tranquil space to experience a profound sense of mental clarity and peace.

 

Chenjiagou “Impression Tai Chi” Theatre

By Architectural Design & Research Institute of Tsinghua University, Jiaozuo, China

Jury Award Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Hall / Theater

Chenjiagou “Impression Tai Chi” Theatre by Architectural Design & Research Institute of Tsinghua University., Jiaozuo, China. Photographs by Zhan Changheng

The “Impression Tai Chi” Theatre is located in Chenjiagou, which is considered the birthplace of Chinese Tai Chi Chuan. Designed by the Architectural Design & Research Institute of Tsinghua University Co., LTD the theater can accommodate up to 1200 people and is a testament to the preservation of natural landscape.

The theatre has a unique mirrored stainless steel facade that reflects the sky, creating a visually appealing connection with the environment without interfering with the visual narrative of the landscape. An annex inspired by traditional Chinese courtyards is constructed using rubble concrete and extends to the exterior, where the natural terrain is followed. Featuring grassy slopes on the roof and surroundings, the theatre design creates a “3D park” that adds value to the guest experience and honors the natural location of the building. It is a prime example of architecture that works with its surroundings, defying traditional notions of architecture to allow for harmonious coexistence.

Free Space with Wood

By Fan Architectural Firm (FANAF), Nanjing, China

Jury Award Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Showrooms

Free Space with Wood by Fan Architectural Firm (FANAF), Nanjing, China. Photographs by ingallery Jin Xiaowen.

The “Free Space with Wood” commercial showroom in Nanjing was designed by Fan Architectural Firm (FANAF) in 2022. The project is a fine example of the importance of preserving historical elements in modern design. The focal point of the space is a restored red brick wall, traditional to historical Chinese architecture, that connects the past with the present.

The showroom is divided into two courtyards using wooden elements and frameless glass to blend the interior and exterior spaces. The entrance courtyard merges indoors and outdoors with a black box, as it integrates the vibrancy of the city. The traditionally inspired internal courtyard features a wooden ceiling that extends outward and a C-shaped teahouse, creating a peaceful atmosphere.

FANAF’s design approach focuses on preserving historical integrity with minimal intervention and maximum preservation while adding contemporary functionality. The design creates a dynamic yet respectful dialogue between old and new.

The Oatmeal Factory

By JSPA Design, Ningwu County, Xinzhou, China

Jury and Popular Choice Award Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Factories & Warehouses

The Oatmeal Factory by JSPA Design, Ningwu County, Xinzhou, China. Photographs by Schran Images

The Oatmeal Factory in Ningwu County , built in 2022 by JSPA Design, is a groundbreaking industrial facility that rethinks what a factory can be. Rather than being a muted and utilitarian space, the factory incorporates elements of nature and sensory experience into its design, creating a space that defies traditional industrial architecture.

The factory is divided into two levels. The lower level is made up of brick walls and houses the technical spaces, which is a tribute to local building traditions. The upper level is a modern concrete volume designed for public spaces. By incorporating patios and gardens, the factory introduces natural light and creates a sense of openness that is not usually found in traditional factories.

By blending traditional brickwork with modern concrete, the factory creates a conversation between past and present. The Oatmeal Factory is an innovative blend of industry and nature, reimagining the role and form of a factory in a contemporary context.

Chongqing Shibati Traditional Style Area

By Beijing AN-Design Architects, Chongqing, China

Jury Award Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Urban & Masterplan

Recently revitalized by Beijing AN-Design Architects, the Chongqing Shibati Traditional Style Area represents the perfect blend of modern technology and traditional spaces. Shibati is located in the old city of Chongqing and is known for its ancient stairway and deep cultural roots dating back to the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The renovation project, covering over one million square feet, was guided by the principle of protecting and inheriting Shibati’s core values. The design retained the original urban layout of “seven streets and six lanes” and preserved the complex elevation changes characteristic of the site.

The restoration process was meticulous and cultural relics, historical buildings, cliffs, stairways and trees that define the mountain city were all restored. Elements like telegraph poles and iron railings were also restored to maintain historical continuity. Modern features were carefully integrated using original styles, techniques and materials. This approach created a seamless blend of old and new, ensuring that the Shibati area remains a living and breathing part of Chongqing’s urban fabric. It is a place where traditional charm coexists with modern functionality.

Stations of Shanghai Metro Line 18

By Shanghai Rail Transit Line 18 Development, Shanghai, China

Popular Choice Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Transport Interiors

Stations of Shanghai Metro Line 18 by Shanghai Rail Transit Line 18 Development, Shanghai, China.

The Shanghai Metro Line 18 has several stations, including the Danyang Road Station, that were designed to transcend time. The line opened in 2021 and runs through the Yangpu Binjiang area, which is rich in history. The stations use contrasting black and white colors to create a modern feel while also emphasizing the region’s industrial past. The unique design combines a minimalist approach with historical storytelling to create a time-defying architecture.

The stations effectively blend different eras and are a great example of how transport infrastructure can transcend its conventional role, becoming a dynamic space where different periods coexist and enhance the urban fabric.

Architizer’s 12th Annual A+Awards are officially underway! Sign up for key program updates and prepare your submission ahead of the Main Entry Deadline on December 15th.  

Reference

Chinese designers can “bring something different to the world”
CategoriesInterior Design

Chinese designers can “bring something different to the world”

By Zarkon Group,

Architects and designers in China are poised to have a greater global influence as the country emerges from the coronavirus pandemic, according to Dezeen Awards China judges at a talk at Design Shanghai.

Hosted by Dezeen’s co-CEO Benedict Hobson, the panel discussion marked the launch of Dezeen’s new regional edition of Dezeen Awards to celebrate architecture and design in China, which is open for entries now.

It featured Dezeen Awards China judges Alex Mok and Frank Chou, alongside Neri&Hu managing director Jerry del Fierro, who stood in for Dezeen Awards China judge Rossana Hu, who had to pull out due to illness.

Frank Chou portrait
Frank Chou is a product designer and Dezeen Awards China judge

According to Chou, who is one of the most established product designers in China, the country has a huge amount of untapped design potential.

“In Europe, there are so many design firms,” he said.

“In China, we have a population of 1.4 billion, but how many designers are there? There’s really a huge potential for Chinese designers to bring something different to the world.”

Sofa by Frank Chou
Frank Chou designs furniture under his own brand

Chou believes that emerging Chinese designers are cultivating a unique, contemporary design language that draws from China’s rich history without being overly deferential to it.

“We need to shape the real modern Chinese culture,” he said.

“When we talk about culture, many people equate this to history, to something in the past. But we should also be thinking about the culture of the future. What will be China’s future culture?”

Jerry del Fierro portrait
Jerry del Fierro is managing director of Neri&Hu

One firm that has successfully created a contemporary Chinese design identity is Neri&Hu, one of China’s best-known architecture and design studios.

According to managing director Del Fierro, the practice’s co-founders Hu and Lyndon Neri have been highly influenced by cultural theorist Svetlana Boym and her concept of “reflective nostalgia”.

“Reflective nostalgia is not a nostalgia that recreates the old, it respects the old but projects something new, something inspiring,” he said.

“It’s not about feeling sad about something that’s lost, but rather to taking elements from the past and making them fresh and new.”

The Relic Shelter teahouse in Fuzhou, China
Recent Neri&Hu projects include The Relic Shelter teahouse in Fuzhou, China

He believes that the conditions are right in China for architects and designers to push boundaries.

“If you work in America, and I worked in America for many years, some of the developers are very conservative,” he said.

“A lot of the Chinese developers are actually ready to try something more innovative. I think there’s something to be said about the culture here that allows for innovation.”

Alex Mok portrait
Alex Mok is co-founder of Linehouse and a Dezeen Awards China judge

Mok, who is co-founder of Shanghai- and Hong Kong-based architecture and interior design studio Linehouse, agreed.

“Transitioning from working in the UK to China was a revelation,” she said.

“At first, I was a bit shocked. But very quickly I just embraced how fluid and fast it is here. We now have the opportunity to be working globally, but our heart is still in China.”

Taking place as part of the Forum programme of talks at Design Shanghai 2023, the first edition of the annual trade show that has taken place since China relaxed international travel restrictions imposed during the coronavirus pandemic, the panel discussion explored how China’s architecture and design scene has been impacted by the pandemic.

Gaga's Coast restaurant in Shanghai designed by Linehouse
Recent Linehouse projects in China include the Coast restaurant in Shanghai

According to Mok, Covid-19 forced many architecture and design firms in China who previously relied on foreign workers to nurture and cultivate local talent instead.

“Everything had to be more local, which I think was a positive thing,” she said.

“It became a bit more about Chinese creativity. When we were hiring, we kept getting all these CVs from foreign architects, but it was impossible [to hire them]. This meant we ended up fostering more local Chinese talent.”

Del Fierro said that Neri&Hu experienced something similar, with many of the firm’s foreign workers returning to Europe or the US and working remotely. According to Fierro, this had the unexpected but welcome consequence of increasing the practice’s international projects.

Covid-19 pandemic created “new opportunities” for architects and designers

“Our practice is very different from three years ago,” he said.

“When the pandemic happened, there were a number of our staff who wanted to return to Europe. We now have about 50 per cent of our projects diversified. Fifty per cent of them are still in China, but 50 per cent are now outside of China.”

According to Del Fierro, the global acceptance of remote working will provide more opportunities for firms based in China to work on projects abroad.

“The concept of remote working is now very commonplace and we are not limited by physical travel anymore,” he said.

“So suddenly, we have all these new opportunities. We are based in Shanghai, can we work in Cape Town? Absolutely! And we don’t have to go there every month. So I think the pandemic caused an interesting situation to create new opportunities.”

Dezeen Awards China 2023 in partnership with Bentley

Dezeen Awards China open for entries until 24 August

Chou, Mok and Neri&Hu co-founder Hu are among the first judges to be announced for Dezeen Awards China, which launched in Shanghai on 8 June in partnership with Bentley. Further judges will be announced in the coming weeks.

Dezeen Awards China is open for entries now until 24 August 2023, but studios can save money on their entry if they enter before 13 July 2023.

There are 17 project categories to enter across architecture, interiors and design. The winners of these project categories will go head to head for the chance to be crowned one of three project of the year winners across architecture, interiors and design.

Reference

resort’s caves and arches frame the views of chinese south coast
CategoriesArchitecture

resort’s caves and arches frame the views of chinese south coast

By Zarkon Group,

Miyue · Blue & White Cliffside Resort by GS Design

 

GS Design realizes the ‘Miyue · Blue & White Cliffside Resort‘ on the south coast of China, redefining the concept of ‘elegant vacation’ and focusing on ‘spatial experience’. Located amidst mountainous views in Shenzhen, the hotel incorporates a predominantly white color palette throughout, creating an aesthetic clarity that complements the expanses of blue sea and sky surrounding the structure. The architectural practice composes a series of elegantly minimalist spaces in a warm, uncluttered style, and with subtle materials that reflect the natural environment. The accommodation unit arranges 25 rooms with a unique interior design and character. The core element of each room is the formation of various caves, baths, and arches which provide framed views of the landscape.

cliffside resort's white caves and arches frame the views of chinese south coast
all images by GS Design

 

 

a sensory experience of urban vacation

 

Architectural practice GS Design focuses on the ‘spatial experience’ of the composed resort exploring the architectural potential in color, light, and texture forming a ‘pioneering model of urban vacation’. Redefining the term ‘elegant vacation’, the design integrates the building with the surrounding environment ‘unlocking the relationship between physical space and perceptual experience behavior’. The material selection of the public zones applies natural bamboo and wood allowing the natural landscape to become part of the interior. Pure white sets as the main tone of the entire building contrasting the framed blue sea and sky.

 

The rugged cave baths ensure direct contact with the outdoor area securing privacy and transparency. The terrace bubble pool reflects the ever-changing shadowplay during the day. Through the visual, tactile, and auditory sensory experience and the design team’s constant and progressive exploration to connect daily life and leisure, the hotel shapes a contemporary urban vacation retreat.

cliffside resort's white caves and arches frame the views of chinese south coast
the hotel incorporates a predominantly white color palette throughout the structure

cliffside resort's white caves and arches frame the views of chinese south coast
formed arches provide framed views of the landscape

cliffside resort's white caves and arches frame the views of chinese south coast
each room enjoys unique outlooks of the mountainous scenery

cliffside resort's white caves and arches frame the views of chinese south coast
white hues and subtle materials complement the framed expanses of blue sea and sky

Reference

Rooi revamps post-war Chinese apartment for modern life
CategoriesInterior Design

Rooi revamps post-war Chinese apartment for modern life

By Zarkon Group,

Multifunctional plywood structures that create spaces for sleeping, storage and drinking tea feature in this compact apartment in Beijing designed by Rooi.


Rooi aimed to create a unique apartment in the block of thirty-six identical units that was built in 1950 to provide accommodation for the families of workers employed at a nearby research institution.

Entryway with concrete floor, white walls and plywood joinery in post-war Beijing apartment
Top: the apartment is located in a 1950s housing block. Above: one of its original columns was clad in stone and turned into a feature

At the time the apartment was built, China faced an influx of people moving to its cities, meaning that living spaces were often tight.

“There was no living room, no dining room or shower in each household,” Rooi explained.

“This type of layout represents the standard post-war Chinese apartment.”

Open-plan room with kitchen and plywood unit holding a kayak in interior by Rooi
Rooi created an open-plan area for cooking and dining with a work table at its centre

As the cost of tearing down old buildings is so high in Beijing, Rooi was tasked with coming up with a modern but economical apartment concept, called T101, that could be replicated in each of the 36 units to make them more private, functional and livable.

“The project’s core was to find a way to adjust the old collective residence into modern city life and retain its previous structure, recovering the degraded green areas,” said ROOI.

“The budget was limited to ¥150,000 [£16,800] per apartment and T101 would be the first experimental renovation example.”

Inside of modular plywood unit in post-war Beijing apartment
A modular birch plywood unit can act as a reception, tea room or temporary guest room

Rooi came up with a floor plan that incorporates a bedroom, living room, kitchen, dining room and bathroom all within the unit’s tight 50-square-metre footprint.

Designed to appeal to the city’s college students and white-collar workers, the layout features an open-plan area for cooking and dining with a work table at its centre.

This area provides enough space for residents to receive guests, work from home, relax in an armchair or exercise.

Modular plywood storage unit in apartment interior by Rooi
Bulk items such as sports equipment can be stored on top of the plywood module

An original column is positioned in the centre of the space and has been clad in stone to protect it and turn it into a design feature.

Running along one side of this flexible space, an enclosed north-facing structure made from birch plywood serves as a reception, tea room or temporary guest room.

Above the wooden enclosure, a large storage area can hold suitcases, outdoor sports equipment and other bulky items. A small toilet and a shower room are located on the opposite side of the space next to the apartment’s entrance.

The bedroom is separated from the rest of the apartment and features a custom plywood bed with shelving built into its tall headboard, while a compact desk is located next to the window. The walls are lined with slim cabinets for additional storage.

Neutral colours and materials were chosen throughout so that the owners can put their own stamp on the interior.

Bed with integrated bookcase in backrest in interior designed by Rooi
A bookcase is integrated into the head of the bed

“The apartment was designed as open as possible and functionally very compacted,” the architecture studio told Dezeen.

“Natural materials and colour have been used throughout the design to create a comfortable and peaceful feel in contrast with contemporary city life.”

Bed with tall plywood backrest in white-painted room of post-war Beijing apartment
The bedroom is separated from the rest of the flat

Elsewhere, design studio I IN has created concept apartment in Tokyo to reframe the way that Japanese homeowners perceive renovated apartments.

Photography is by Weiqi Jin.

Reference