Pingjiang Wonder Bookstore Livraria by Aico

Pingjiang Wonder Bookstore Livraria by Aico is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2021 A' Design Award de Prata in Design de Arquitetura, Edifícios e Estruturas Competition Category.

PrataArquitetura· 2021

Pingjiang Wonder Bookstore Livraria

by Aico

Client: Yango Group Co. Ltd

A' Design Award de Prata Winner in Arquitetura Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #106790

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The Design

About Pingjiang Wonder Bookstore Livraria

A Pingjiang Wonder Bookstore é uma livraria em Suzhou, China, com uma área construída bruta de 1800 metros quadrados. O edifício tem a forma de um cristal delicadamente lapidado e divide-se horizontalmente em duas partes. A parte superior é facetada, e as fachadas seccionadas inclinam-se num ângulo vertical de 4 a 6 graus em direção ao céu. A parte inferior, transparente, é concebida à escala humana para melhor integração nas ruas envolventes. Painéis de vidro de alta refletividade, com 5 por 1,8 metros, compõem a fachada-cortina exterior emoldurada.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award de Prata

Pingjiang Wonder Bookstore Livraria conquistou o A' Design Award de Prata, um reconhecimento extraordinariamente prestigiado atribuído a designs de topo de gama, deslumbrantes e impressionantes. Os vencedores da Prata são obras tremendamente brilhantes e extremamente criativas que ilustram a perícia, o talento e a acuidade excecionais dos seus designers. Espera-se que Pingjiang Wonder Bookstore Livraria seja uma obra maravilhosa e de referência, notavelmente profissional e profundamente inovadora. Este design vencedor do A' Design Award de Prata é uma invenção muito notável e admirada, que beneficia e faz avançar as fronteiras da arte, da ciência, do design e da tecnologia. Pingjiang Wonder Bookstore Livraria é uma criação imensamente invejada que desperta desejos, traz sentimentos positivos e faz nascer espanto e deslumbramento.

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.