Platinum Architecture, Building and Structure Design · 2022
Oriental Movie Metropolis Theater Exhibition Hall
by Shanxing Gao
- A' Design Award 2022 Platinum Winner in Architecture, Building and Structure Design
- Awarded April 15, 2022
- CLIENT: Gdf Ltd
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 3,104,319
- Verification code 408E58645B · Verify this award
About Oriental Movie Metropolis Theater Exhibition Hall
Heart to the local nature and response to contemporary times is the initial inspiration for the aesthetic creating of architectural form. Rooted in Eastern philosophy, the self-organizing system of building elevation, which involve the natural environmental perception, custom performance function and construction material shaping potential, perfectly represent the orderly and complexity elegance.
Positioned at the intersection of structural innovation and organic formal expression, this architectural work by Gao Shanxing demonstrates how contemporary exhibition design can transcend mere functional accommodation to achieve the status of urban landmark and cultural symbol. The building's remarkable silhouette, generated through an array of dramatically cantilevered steel elements that sweep outward and upward in graduated rhythms, suggests the formal vocabulary of natural growth patterns while celebrating the expressive potential of engineered steel construction. The architect appears to have drawn inspiration from organic morphologies, whether botanical, marine, or avian, translating these natural precedents into a tectonic language of considerable sophistication and visual power. The extensive glazed envelope serves multiple purposes: providing transparency that reveals interior activity and welcomes visitors, creating luminous presence during evening hours that establishes the building as a beacon within the urban fabric, and generating rich material dialogue with the warmer steel framework through temperature and reflectivity contrasts. The chromatic strategy proves particularly effective during the captured twilight moment, when the complementary relationship between the oxidized steel tones and the deepening blue sky achieves maximum visual resonance. The integration of the building with its site demonstrates sensitivity to approach sequences and public gathering, with the generous plaza providing space for pre-event congregation while the radiating structural members seem to reach outward in welcoming gesture. Technical accomplishment is evident in the precise engineering required to achieve such dramatic cantilevers while maintaining structural integrity and visual grace. The work participates in contemporary architectural discourse regarding biomimicry and organic form while establishing its own distinctive identity. Viewers are invited to consider how architectural form can embody the imaginative spirit of the cinematic arts the building serves.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- "The heart is on the ground and natural, responding to the next era", the Show Theatre takes it as the core aesthetic principle and starting point of inspiration. In terms of locality, environmental perception and the spirit of the times, it is demonstrated through architectural performance functions with customization, material shaping systems, and orderly, complex and elegant spatial organization. The curvilinear form language implies multi-level metaphors.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Project size: 231424 sq. ft
- Tags
- locality；dramatic; Cultural symbols； Parametric design；BIM technology
- Production Technology
- At the beginning of facade design, the Show Theater shape was defined as a hyperboloid of negative Gaussian curvature with different curvatures everywhere. It brings great difficulty to the subsequent processing, and also causes the high cost of curtain wall processing. According to the basic design principles defined by related structural design and morphological requirements, and through the establishment of Grasshopper-assisted design logic, we optimize the traditional basic surface morphology defined by the orthogonal UV direction, and achieve a positive design optimization of construction-oriented.
- Design Challenge
- In order to realize the design concept, the Show Theatre adopts a spirally ascending curve form covered with a full glass curtain wall to express the natural texture of the conch. This structural form determines that most of the glass are hyperboloid, and require customized processing. During construction, the complexity of the components and the requirements for installation accuracy are very high, the installation and positioning of a large number of special-shaped glasses are difficult, and the deformation of complex steel structures is difficult to control. In order to ensure safety, there are high requirements on the precision of steel consumption, displacement control and synchronization during the construction process.
- Project Duration
- The project was completed on January 18, 2019 and officially opened on April 29, 2019 in Qingdao.
- Operation Flow
- In history, Qingdao was the hometown of Dongyi's marine civilization, the important place of the "Nation of Sea King" in the Spring and Autumn Period, and one of the earliest prosperous places on the Maritime Silk Road. Modern Qingdao is vigorously implementing marine cultural revitalization projects, marine cultural inheritance and development projects, and image enhancement projects. These will help build a marine cultural brand and a famous coastal cultural tourism city. A brand-new cultural, tourism and performing arts product not only enables citizens and tourists to feel the unique charm of the world’s top art performances, but also better meets their strong demand for night life in the island city. It also further enhances the city images of Open, Modern, Vibrant and Fashion, which promotes and spreads Qingdao culture as well as Qilu culture.
- Research
- Dominated by the initial design concept, the project applies the forward BIM methodology to introduce the parametric control of spatial curves in the very first stage of design. Integrating the artistic design of form as well as the construct of NURBS curves and surfaces, the elegant double shells concept fits well with the function of theater. During the whole design and construction process, forward BIM technology is used for the design communication and file control, which enable s the best translation of the initial design concept to the final built structure of the theater as well as the combination of art and technology.
- Inspiration
- The proposal concept comes from a conch-one of the oldest marine creature.Combined with the unique marine culture of QINGDAO, the Show Theatre creates an abstract and dynamic shape with verti calconch texture. Standing by the sea, the Show Theatre and the Grand Theater are in a beautiful contrast. They look the same, but with some changes.One is quiet,and one is lively, which adds a lot of vitality.
- Image Credits
- Image #1,2,3,4,5: Photograph by Wu qingshan studio
Colors of Oriental Movie Metropolis Theater Exhibition Hall
Get Oriental Movie Metropolis Theater Exhibition Hall
Award-Winning Theater and Cultural Architecture
We specialize in innovative commercial architecture, from theaters and entertainment venues to large-scale complexes. With over 20 years of experience and international recognition including the prestigious A' Design Award, we transform complex architectural challenges into extraordinary spaces…
G0E23 Shop