According to the aim of the New Silk
Road Park, to be a place of gathering the cultures and the will of
the city of Xi’an to establish itself as the cultural capital of
China the project should be interpreted as a cultural embassy, a
place that serves as a gate to the culture of the mediterranean,
presents this culture and allows to dive in.It will be a
place that does not visually appear Mediterranean but absorbs and
emits some of its most important principles, such as principles of
spatial organization and inhabitation that are typical of the
Mediterranean: the unique relationships to the sun and the water are
not exclusive to the Mediterranean; the spontaneous use of public
space is not exclusive to the Mediterranean, narrow enclosed streets
are not exclusive to the Mediterranean, the texture and feel of the
materials are not exclusive to the Mediterranean.The project
consist of three main parts. Just as the Mediterranean can be
characterized by the juxtaposition of two spaces, the urban and the
rural, this project is divided into a large, clear cut building and a
multi-faceted landscape.The treshold between the two elements,
the buildings skin, serves as the city wall, separating and
controlling its relation to the landscape and also becomes the main
communication to the adjacent cultural area.At distance the
simple geometric form appears as a signifi cant landmark, hovering
over the landscape, protecting and defi ning the space. On approach
the smooth skin slowly dissolves into a cryptic pattern, resembling
text, but showing neither Latin, Arabic, or Logographic symbols, but
an abstract code, without denotation but resembling all types of
script, thus communication. As such, it makes the fi rst invitation
towards a conversation encouraging the exchange of ideas and
thoughts, opening a platform without the limits of language.