Photography by Yang Chaoying
Recently crowned as the world’s second-largest economy, China continues to develop new and interesting ways of embracing the free market economy; this time by experimenting with private funding for public buildings. The Two is an example of this inventive approach, where buildings are designed to respond to current and anticipated demographics, cultural and technological changes in innovative ways.
The Jimei New City suburb of Xiamen is an area expected to house 200,000 people in just a few short years. Currently surrounded by construction sites, noise, dust and undesirable views of existing commercial buildings, the site is at the middle of the newly developing suburb. Funded privately by the community’s developer, The Two will temporarily function as a sales office, housing the client’s offices, discussion spaces, VIP areas, a children’s play area, presentation theater, and a 10x6 meter display model of the planned community. Once development is complete however, the building’s function will be transformed into a Community Arts Center, a landmark for the new community where the public can enjoy exhibits by local and regional artists.
The bright yellow, corrugated metal drum of the main building volume reveals itself through the garden and is intended to become an icon for the development. As visitors arrive at the building, an entry path through the garden and between two asymptotic black basalt walls allows one to remove themselves from the realm of the car. The curving six-meter tall walls of honed black basalt funnel visitors to the entry while screening out undesirable views. These walls create a sense of compression as one moves toward the entry, before releasing visitors into the open interior space. A large central garden surrounded by curved glass walls brings in daylight, provides a connection to nature and strengthens the facilities inward view-focus. The garden is also designed as a cool air generator, drawing in air through operable louvers for natural ventilation. A continuous clerestory that brings daylight to the perimeter of the building integrates louvers to exhaust the heated air that rises to the top of the building.
View Original