Osmosis Toerismesintrum troch Cen Shen and Changsong Li

Osmosis Toerismesintrum troch Cen Shen and Changsong Li is in heech wurdearre winner fan de tige prestizjeuze 2026 A' Design Award yn Brûns yn de kompetysje-kategory Arsjitektuer, Gebou en Struktuerûntwerp.

BrûnsArsjitektuer· 2026

Osmosis Toerismesintrum

troch Cen Shen and Changsong Li

Klant: Changsong Li & Cen Shen

A' Design Award yn Brûns Winner yn de kategory Arsjitektuer

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Ferifiearre Priiswinner

Ferifiearje Prisstatus foar #182593

Besjoch by A' Design Award Parseberjocht Priisbadge

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It Untwerp

Oer Osmosis Toerismesintrum

Osmosis is in sintrum foar toerisme en edukaasje yn El Paso, Texas. It ûntwerp is ynspirearre troch de geometry fan in droege fiver yn it drûge regionale lânskip. Organyske flakken wurde oerset yn rjochtlinige konyske geometryen, sadat it golvjende dak boud wurde kin mei rjochte stielen balken en modulêre panielen. Ferburgen goaten yn 'e dakrânen sammelje reinwetter. Swiere muorren fan stampte ierde wurde kombinearre mei glêzen wanden oer de folsleine hichte. De poreuze yndieling is skikt om in sintrale binnenhôf hinne, wêrtroch besikers ferbûn wurde mei it omlizzende terrein.

De Erkenning

Oer de A' Design Award yn Brûns

Osmosis Toerismesintrum is in winner fan de A' Design Award yn Brûns, in heech prestisjeuze erkenning foar treflike ûntwerpen dy't har ûnderskiede troch kreativiteit, fernuft en tûkens. Brûnswinners binne tige feardige en opfallend kreative artefakten dy't de grutte ûnderfining, ferbylding en betochtsumens fan har ûntwerpers befêstigje. Fan Osmosis Toerismesintrum wurdt ferwachte dat it in tige heech achte, bewûndere en dierber objekt is dat opmerklik profesjoneel en ynnovatyf is. Dit winnende ûntwerp fan de A' Design Award yn Brûns yntegrearret de bêste praktiken yn keunst, wittenskip, ûntwerp en technology en is treflik om syn omtinken foar detail. Osmosis Toerismesintrum foldocht behoeften prachtich, reitsjet winsken, betsjoeveret gefoelens en sprekt nijsgjirrigens oan.

Efter it Untwerp

Parsepakket

Credits, teamleden en technyske details levere troch de ûntwerper.

Unike Eigenskippen: Reflecting the concept of osmosis, the center's non-centric layout allows tourists to feel like an integral part of the landscape. By contrasting heavy rammed earth with transparent all-glass walls, the architecture dissolves physical barriers, fully absorbing visitors into the terrain. Additionally, the undulating roof responds directly to El Paso’s arid climate, utilizing concealed gutters for a vital water collection system that ensures long-term ecological resilience.
Ofmjittingen & Ferpakking: Osmosis is a large-scale civic infrastructure organized around a central radial courtyard. The technical envelope combines high thermal mass rammed earth walls and expansive structural glazing, optimized for arid climates. The conical roof spans are constructed using straight steel beams mapped to conical generators, supporting modular panels and concealed stormwater gutters. The facility houses tourism and education centre function spaces.
Labels: Parametric Architecture, Migrant Service Center, Geometric Rationalization, Conical Geometry, Porous Space, Rammed Earth Construction, Sustainable Infrastructure, Border Architecture
Produksjetechnology: Osmosis uses geometric rationalization to translate organic surfaces into ruled conical geometries. Mapping a structural grid along the cones' straight-line generators allows efficient construction of complex curvature using straight members and modular roof panels. Concealed gutters within the roof's edges preserve the undulating canopy's seamless purity, while full-height glass walls dissolve visual boundaries to maintain an uninterrupted connection with the landscape.
Untwerpútdaging: The main challenge was translating fluid ecological concepts into buildable architecture. Socially, the design shifts historical paradigms of environmental exploitation toward ecological education. Externally, harsh regional climates dictated strict parameters. Production limits were overcome using advanced parametric technology, rationalizing complex undulating curvatures into modular conical geometries to enable cost-efficient construction using strictly straight steel members.
Undersyk: This applied research designed a cost-efficient, climate-responsive sanctuary. Using structural, solar, and sightline simulations alongside climate data, various roof geometries were tested. Simulated tourist viewpoints, water-saving calculations, and material metrics determined the optimal shape. Results proved this form maximizes daylight control, water harvesting, and nature views while significantly reducing structural costs. This offers an economical, ecological hub that deeply absorbs visitors.
Ynspiraasje: The primary inspiration for this project stems from the severe environmental crises of water depletion and soil salinization in the arid landscapes of El Paso. Observing the profound disconnect between human infrastructure—specifically the forceful industrial separation of water and salt through desalination—and the fragile ecosystems it occupies, the design emerged as an architectural counter-narrative.

Operating as an ecological tourism and education center, the project is motivated by the need to attract visitors while actively educating the public about these pressing environmental urgencies. The central motive is to foster a profound union between humanity and the natural environment through the conceptual framework of "osmosis," seeking to heal the separation between people and the ecology they inhabit.

Furthermore, the formal language and shape of the building are directly inspired by the El Paso terrain itself, capturing the stark realities of regional water scarcity. Specifically, the architectural massing and undulating rooflines draw upon the distinct geometry of a dry pond, serving as a direct visual and spatial allusion to the parched earth and the environmental narrative driving the design.
Projektdoer: Developed as an architectural project in 2023 , Osmosis is situated at El Paso, Texas.
Operaasjestreamferrin: This undulating canopy transforms flat surfaces into a flowing wave. It isn't "operated" by machines, but by nature: visitors interact by walking beneath its shifting heights, moving between airy, sunlit peaks and shaded, intimate dips. It performs significantly better than a standard flat roof because these precise curves naturally channel rare rainwater into concealed edges and optimize cooling airflow, creating a highly efficient, climate-responsive desert oasis.
Teamleden: Changsong Li, Cen Shen
Ofbyldingskrediten: Image #1: Creators Changsong Li and Cen Shen, Osmosis: Dissolving The Borderline, 2023.
Image #2: Creators Changsong Li and Cen Shen, Osmosis: Dissolving The Borderline, 2023.
Image #3: Creators Changsong Li and Cen Shen, Osmosis: Dissolving The Borderline, 2023.
Image #4: Creators Changsong Li and Cen Shen, Osmosis: Dissolving The Borderline, 2023.
Image #5: Creators Changsong Li and Cen Shen, Osmosis: Dissolving The Borderline, 2023.