Vanke City Growth Hall Sale Center

Press Kit

Unique Properties

In the eastern suburb memory in Chengdu, China, MDO has transformed an old state-run factory into a vivid city hall, maintaining traces and history of the existing building. The design team prioritized a clear transition between old and new, inserting a series of new contrasting objects which blur the boundaries between architecture and landscape, and create a new social dialogue with the city, and a vibrant mixed-use program.

Dimensions & Packaging

Area:2970 Square meters

Tags

Urban Renewal,Modern,Exhibition,Interior, Commercial, Sales Center, Simple, Natural,Art

Design Challenge

In the design process MDO is concerned with maintaining this historical memory while carefully updating historical objects to suit more uses. Blurring the boundary between interior and architecture, and encourage a new social dialogue with the city.

Research

MDO sought to communicate the idea of a core where different people and functions can meet. based on this strategy, the staircase employs wide steps, allowing informal meeting and relaxation spaces.

Lining the stairs is a customized ceramic tile will depicting clusters of hibiscus mutabilis found locally in Chengdu which inspired by the poem 'The wet red patches in Chengdu's twilight, are flower branches, heavier but bright'.

The ground floor features a cafe functioning as a public space which blurs the boundary between inside and out. The form is conceived as a layered bamboo box inserted into the grey concrete structure. The layers are folded out to create space for sitting, tables, and serving coffee to the street. Along the perimeter takes shape a deep bamboo seat creating a relaxing space inviting passers-by to stop, relax and enjoy a coffee. A large picture window with a sliding glass screen can open up on warmer days, creating a strong visual connection between the city and the interior.

In an homage to the site history of manufacturing, the bar’s ceiling includes a light installation made up of rows of 160 black and white light cathode-ray televisions, which refer to the product which was once made on site.

Inspiration

The original building founded in 1958, held the Hongguang electronic tube factory, which produced once oscilloscopes and kinescopes for the military. As a continuity of the past, the oscilloscope became the design’s starting point, and the ‘burst of energy’ was extracted as the element throughout the project.This ‘explosion of energy’ was seen as the spatial concept of the ‘big bang of knowledge’.

Project Duration

The project started in October 2020 and finished in August 2021.

Operation Flow

The explosion begins in the center of the old structure, while the energy splits to create new spatial forms, which are mapped to all corners of the old factory, interspersing with the historic walls and column networks. In the explosive proliferation of space, technological materials and lights clash and blend with the old factory building, bringing new sensory impact and dramatic feeling to visitors. These points are all connected by the central staircase, which serves as the social heart.

Image Credits

All materials on the site belong to More Design Office Co.,Ltd