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Pingjiang Wonder Bookstore Librairie by Aico

Pingjiang Wonder Bookstore Librairie by Aico is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2021 A' Design Award d'Argent in Design d'Architecture, Bâtiment et Structure Competition Category.


ArgentArchitecture· 2021

Pingjiang Wonder Bookstore Librairie

by Aico

Client: Yango Group Co. Ltd

A' Design Award d'Argent Winner in Architecture Category

Colors

The Design

About Pingjiang Wonder Bookstore Librairie

La librairie Pingjiang Wonder est une librairie située à Suzhou, en Chine, d'une surface construite brute de 1 800 mètres carrés. Le bâtiment évoque un cristal délicatement taillé et se divise horizontalement en deux parties. La partie supérieure est facettée, ses façades tranchées s'inclinant vers le ciel selon un angle vertical de 4 à 6 degrés. La partie inférieure, transparente, est conçue à l'échelle humaine afin de mieux s'intégrer aux rues environnantes. Des panneaux de verre hautement réfléchissants de 5 mètres sur 1,8 mètre composent le mur-rideau extérieur à ossature.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award d'Argent

Pingjiang Wonder Bookstore Librairie est lauréat de l'A' Design Award d'Argent, une reconnaissance énormément prestigieuse décernée à des designs haut de gamme, superbes et impressionnants. Les lauréats Argent sont des œuvres tout à fait brillantes et extrêmement créatives qui illustrent l'expertise, le talent et la perspicacité remarquables de leurs concepteurs. Pingjiang Wonder Bookstore Librairie est censé être une œuvre merveilleuse, une vitrine de savoir-faire, remarquablement professionnelle et profondément innovante. Ce design lauréat de l'A' Design Award d'Argent est une invention très notable et admirée, qui sert l'art, la science, le design et la technologie et en repousse les limites. Pingjiang Wonder Bookstore Librairie est une création très enviée qui éveille les désirs, apporte des sentiments positifs et suscite émerveillement et étonnement.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties
As the first building amid the city complex turned from old town to the city gateway, we shaped it as a delicately-cut crystal. Dividing the building horizontally into 2 parts, we faceted the upper part and battered the sliced facades by a vertical angle of 4-6 degrees towards the sky as a pioneer, while we fit the transparent lower part into the human scale for better integration into the culturally unique streets. Thus, both parts can naturally merge into the different development stages.
Dimensions & Packaging
Gross Built Area: 1800 Square Meters
Tags
Bookstore, Suzhou, Glass Curtain Wall, Delicately-Cut Crystal, Speculations in a Tiny Space, Reflection, Urban Revival, City Pioneer
Production Technology
The high-reflective glass panels with a dimension of 5m x 1.8m were adopted to compose the external framed curtain wall.
Design Challenge
Challenges arose during the construction of specially designed facade curtain wall, for instance, the stress problem of the apexes that increases the fragility of the glass, and the flattening of glass panels sized 5m x 1.8m, which is larger than normal size. After systematic research and close collaboration, the unique diamond-like exterior took shape eventually.
Research
According to the law of THE NEGATION OF NEGATION in Science of Logic by Hegel, the result of self-sublation is never nothing but is characterized by new contents and forms. Such dialectic speculation forms the basic design logic for the building. To hide it into 500,000 square meter city complex, or to highlight its independent characteristics within the tiny 1800 square meters? An icy cluster of metal or a soothing piece of jade? Rounds of negations led us to the design eventually.
Inspiration
Rounds of explorations were made to define the facade of the new town pioneer bookstore. The Rose Cut, one of the diamond faceting method in the Renaissance, inspired the combinations of inlaid triangles. The apexes of each triangle glass are tilted in with a specific angle, forming the slight ups and downs on the exterior and reflecting the daily and seasonal variations of the sunlight.
Project Duration
The bookstore located in 777 Liansheng Rd, Gusu Dist., Suzhou, China, which started and completed in 2018.
Operation Flow
As the very first building in the titanic city complex, it is expected to stand out as a trendy experience center in the mess and pioneer in the new town. After the maturation of the entire city complex project, we hope it can remain culturally unique and serve the local community, merging into their daily life.
Team Members
Rudan Ye
Jing Zhang
Hucheng Yuan
Jinshan Chen
Tianyu Jin
Xin Wang
Peng Liu
Guangyuan Zhu
Image Credits
Image #1/#2/#3/#4/#5: Photographer Jianghe Zeng, 2018.

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