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Shui Cultural Center Centro Cultural by West-line Studio - Haobo Wei and Jingsong Xie

Shui Cultural Center Centro Cultural by West-line Studio - Haobo Wei and Jingsong Xie is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2018 A' Design Award de Plata in Diseño de Arquitectura, Edificación y Estructuras Competition Category.


PlataArquitectura· 2018

Shui Cultural Center Centro Cultural

by West-line Studio - Haobo Wei and Jingsong Xie

Client: West-line Studio

A' Design Award de Plata Winner in Arquitectura Category

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The Design

About Shui Cultural Center Centro Cultural

Ubicado en China, en la provincia sureña de Guizhou, el Centro Cultural Shui es una puerta de entrada al condado de Sandu, la tierra de la minoría étnica Shui. El objetivo del estudio West-line con este edificio era convertir los elementos rituales y la atmósfera de Shui en un espacio público. Una fina piel de bronce crea un contraste con la pesada estructura de hormigón, rompiendo la luz del sol para crear un efecto dramático una vez dentro. Después de que los visitantes pasan por la plaza de aguas abiertas, el Centro Cultural presenta una sucesión de tres espacios, fuertemente caracterizados por techos inclinados, que evocan el pictograma de la montaña de Shui.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award de Plata

Shui Cultural Center Centro Cultural ha ganado el A' Design Award de Plata, un reconocimiento extraordinariamente prestigioso concedido a diseños de gama alta, magníficos e impresionantes. Los ganadores de Plata son obras tremendamente brillantes y sumamente creativas que ilustran la destacada experiencia, el talento y la agudeza de sus diseñadores. Se espera que Shui Cultural Center Centro Cultural sea una obra maravillosa y emblemática, notablemente profesional y profundamente innovadora. Este diseño ganador del A' Design Award de Plata es una invención muy notable y admirada que beneficia y hace avanzar las fronteras del arte, la ciencia, el diseño y la tecnología. Shui Cultural Center Centro Cultural es una creación enormemente envidiada que evoca deseos, aporta sentimientos positivos y despierta asombro y admiración.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties
Located in the Southern Guizhou Province, Shui Cultural Center is a gateway to Sandu County, the land of the Shui. It includes three main stripes, combining all the functions of the tourist-cultural center. With its iconic and distinct shape, it stands as an homage to the local culture and traditional architecture. The Shui culture is evoked using particular materials and shapes and recreating a ritual space, able to lead visitors into Shui’s ancestral world.
Dimensions & Packaging
Area surface: 13,808.04 sqm
Building surface: 4,223.59 sqm
Building max height: 23 m
Tower height: 30 m
Tags
China, Guizhou Province, West-line studio, Cultural Center, Shui Minority, Concrete Architecture, Chinese Architecture, Pitched Roof, Concrete, Bronze
Production Technology
1. Fair-faced Concrete: strongly marked by a wooden pattern, given by the pine quarterdecks
2. Copper Steel Plates: twelve industrial processes recreate the peculiar texture of the bronze used in Shui minority’s ancient rituals
3. Colorful Transparent Glass: Shui Characters, mainly used during ceremonies and sacrifices, are printed on colored glasses, filtering the light and evoking a ritual atmosphere
Design Challenge
The main challenge has been to turn those typical and ritual elements of Shui minority’s culture, together with the whole scenario they used to create during Bronze Age traditional rites, into a contemporary public space.
Research
The project focuses and researches on these main aspects:
1. Regional Connection: local peak-cluster landform
2. Public Life: contemporary public life model of Shui minority group in China
3. Ritual Atmosphere: bronze drums and altars used in Shui’s sacrifices
4. Lighting Atmosphere: filter Shui’s unique pictograms
5. Construction: handcrafted + industrial materials
Inspiration
The Cultural Center is inspired by Shui minority sacrificial rites, where bronze drums and altars are regarded as symbols of power. The architecture also evokes Shui unique pictograms. From the outside, with its water square, it stands as an open memorial place. While inside visitors are immerged into an introverted ritual atmosphere.
Project Duration
Design: June 2016 - October 2016
Location: Guiyang, Guizhou Province, China
Construction: October 2016 - November 2017
Location: Sandu County, Guizhou Province, China
Operation Flow
The building guides visitors step by step into Shui’s ritual world. Starting from the open water memorial square, behind which the building shines with its bronze perforated skin which remembers sacrificial altars. To the interiors strongly characterized by the sharp pitched roof, which aims to recreate an intimate dramatic atmosphere.
Patents
Copyrights belong to West-line Studio, 2017.
Team Members
- Design: Haobo Wei, Jingsong Xie
- Architecture and Landscape: Yudan Luo
- Site Construction Control: Haobo Wei, Minghua Ou
- Interior Design: Martina Muratori
- Structure: Yuanping Li, Xiaoqiang Yang
- Equipment: Hongbo Shi
- Research: Lanyu Xu, Danjing Zhong, Zhili Yin, Jing Shi, Yulan Xu
- Graphic: Martina Muratori, Jinda Zheng
Image Credits
Photo: Jingsong Xie, Jinda Zheng

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