Victor Hydraulics is a corporate exhibition hall for an industrial hydraulics manufacturer, covering 780 square meters in Shaoyang City, China. A cantilevered block 20 meters long marks the entrance and rests on a single stress point formed by a customized steel structure. Italian natural travertine and woodgrain stone form the main surfaces, and stone wrapping covers the structural columns. Two fan-shaped facades and symmetrical curved steps guide visitor movement. A circular booth raises a large hydraulic system close to eye level, and a viewing platform at the end overlooks the hall.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- I hope that all the VICTOR HYDRAULICS visitors can clearly perceive its independent character and respect for their self-developed industrial products in the global industry. I began to think about what kind of materials could be used in the space to unfold the story of VICTOR HYDRAULIC accurately and present its qualities in a meaningful space. I seek to visualize them, to form precise geometries in the space, to define and delimit spatial zones and the interconnectedness of spaces.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Area：780㎡
- Tags
- Exhibition hall，Industrial exhibition hall，Enterprise exhibition hall
- Production Technology
- I decided to use Italian natural travertine and woodgrain stone as the main material of the space. Through natural weathering and corrosion, they both exhibit a unique and complex quality. Travertine textures and holes have been shaped by the power of nature to symbolize the spirit of eternity and resilience. Woodgrain stone is delicate and gentle with lines of grain that are as beautiful as a never-ending poem. Both are highly overlapped with the characters of VICTOR HYDRAULICS.
At this point, I began to refine the connection of all the geometric forms within the space. For all the architectural structural columns, we used stone wrapping with a clear expression of strength, which, like the pillars of a temple, hold up the entire space. At the front of the entrance cantilevered block, I placed a delicate high-pressure plunger pump. It forms a clear dramatic contrast with with minimalist, thick geometric blocks in the front space. Visitors’ traffic flow are guided by the left and right symmetrical curved steps and the front cantilevered block which has the shadowy carving of the VICTOR HYDRAULICS corporate story. - Design Challenge
- Every product of VICTOR HYDRAULICS undergoes a process of repeated and rigorous refinement and testing, and every industrial designer and operator is a combination of craftsman and artist. VICTOR HYDRAULICS and I want visitors to feel the power that has been embedded in VICTOR HYDRAULICS for over 55 years, which is tenacity, dedication, professionalism, and also creativity, innovation, and strong vitality. VICTOR HYDRAULICS corporate exhibition hall should at the same time convey the possibilities of the future.
- Project Duration
- Time of duration：Five months
Locations：Shaoyang City，China - Operation Flow
- Two tall fan-shaped facades block the view of the rear space, leaving only the cantilevered blocks extending to the back end. Passing the two fan-shaped facades, the circular booth lifted the large volume of the hydraulic system to almost flush with the line of sight height. This means that visitors can look around clearly the large volume of industrial products, as if to view a fine work of art. The viewing platform at the end guides visitors to go upwards and to overlook the whole exhibition hall, and thus the main line of visiting the whole exhibition hall is finished.The series presentation of the three main products of VICTOR HYDRAULICS is handled on a curved wall, which is divided into three groups, with each group having a high level booth and a low level display area. This meets the needs of visitors after viewing products via main traffic flow and then to further understand the VICTOR HYDRAULICS products.
- Research
- In this project commission, I learned from Peter Zumthor focusing on the delicate relation formed between inside and outside, public and private space as well as on how to begin a project, the path and the boundary. I also focus on the properties of materials, the complexities of shaping the atmosphere of a space and weighing the size and scale of the space. I kept measuring until everything was just right.
- Inspiration
- I planned a 20-meter long cantilevered block at the entrance of Victor Hydraulics exhibition hall, with only one stress point in the whole block, using a large customized steel structure as the base column of the stress point and the inner structure of the cantilevered block. In the first look, it has strong aggressiveness, which gives the visitors amazement and affirmation, and then it can drive the visitors to think.
- Image Credits
- photographer：Liu Lei（Ueya photography）
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