The Xun Pavilion is designed as a wedding venue, situated on the site of an ancient city gate in Shenyang, which is now part of the city's core area. Surrounded by commercial buildings from different eras and a busy main road, the site, like many in the city centers of China, lacks the pure ceremonial atmosphere that weddings often require.
To create a more peaceful environment, a courtyard has been added, with a lawn on one side facing the road and the wedding hall on the other. The entrance to the courtyard takes several turns, filtering out external noise and providing a serene space for guests. Inside the courtyard, the walls and trees along the road create a pure background, with the white roof of the wedding hall drawing guests towards the ceremony and banquet halls.
The main hall's white polycarbonate roof panels give the building a pure appearance and allow natural light to create the ceremony's desired atmosphere. The foam aluminum panels on the walls absorb surrounding noise, while their texture and seam treatment create a high-end stone effect from a distance.
Inside the main hall, low windows and skylights limit the view to the courtyard and sky, providing a ceremonial space for people to focus on the present. Two main beams were arranged along the long axis direction, and diagonal sub-beams were placed on the two long main beams in the transverse direction, matching the maximum length of the glass that can be transported, giving the building a clean skylight. Lighting and HVAC equipment are hidden behind perforated aluminum panels at the top, preserving the peaceful visual experience of the space.
Located in the city center, Xun Pavilion enjoys geographical advantages and at the same time offers a suitable space for wedding ceremonies. Upon closer examination, it is similar to the preferences of young Chinese couples who choose not to hold their weddings in hotels, inheriting the economic support and blessings of their parents while also attempting to make a difference in their lives.
Project name: Xun Pavilion
Location: Shenyang, China
Year: 2020
Program: wedding hall
Area: 1000 sqm
Architects: Nomos Architects (nomos-architects.com)
Photographs: Nomos Architects
Materials: polycarbonate panel from Rodeca, foam aluminum panel from Yuantaida