Royal Time Residence 展示中心 by Shanghai PTArchitects

Royal Time Residence 展示中心 by Shanghai PTArchitects is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2021 A' Design Award 银奖 in 建筑与结构设计 Competition Category.

银建筑· 2021

Royal Time Residence 展示中心

by Shanghai PTArchitects

Client: Shanghai PTArchitects

A' Design Award 银奖 Winner in 建筑 Category

16,252

Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #116078

Visit Site View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Royal Time Residence 展示中心

皇家时代府邸是位于中国苏州的一座展示中心。项目由三栋形态与体量各异的独立建筑组成，环绕一处开敞的内庭院布置。灰空间与风雨连廊将各建筑串联起来，形成可供休憩与社交的现代庭院。展示厅、含儿童活动中心的健身会所以及书吧均朝向庭院开敞。立面由大尺度U型玻璃、玫瑰金铝板与本地黏土砖共同构成。整体布局呼应了苏州古典园林流动的游走动线。

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award 银奖

Royal Time Residence 展示中心是 A' Design Award 银奖得主，这是授予顶级、华美而令人印象深刻的设计的极为崇高的认可。银奖得主是极其卓越、极具创造力的作品，展现出其设计师杰出的专业技能、才华与敏锐。预计Royal Time Residence 展示中心将成为一件出色的典范之作，兼具非凡的专业性与深刻的创新性。这件赢得 A' Design Award 银奖的设计是一项备受瞩目、令人钦佩的发明，造福并拓展艺术、科学、设计和技术的边界。Royal Time Residence 展示中心是一件令人羡慕的创作，它唤起渴望，带来积极的情感，并激发惊叹与赞叹。

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: The overall design emphasizes the visitor's experience of the space on site, especially when it conveys the fluid circulation of different spaces as experienced in traditional classical gardens in Suzhou. The display center consists of three separate functional buildings with an open area enclosed in the middle. It looks like three independent glass boxes of different shapes and sizes are beautifully scattered on the site. And different kinds of 'transitional spaces' connect them all to form a modern courtyard which will become a spot where residents in the future can stay, socialize and communicate.
Dimensions & Packaging: As young and modern people are the major residents in the community, the owner of the project wishes to create a quiet and pleasant space for them, thus the viral book-bar was created. As an independent volume of building, the book-bar also uses large panels of U-profile glass(with each panel of 7.6-meter height) as the façade which is very eye-catching and soothing from any side, wherever the visitor comes in. From within, the glass panels provide the readers with a quiet and private environment for reading.
Tags: display center, fluid circulation, socialize and communicate, open community
Production Technology: In order to dissolve the façade of the buildings, the architect decides to use large panels of U-profile glass as the main material. The panels that form the exterior of the fitness club vary in size, with the largest piece nearing 10 meters high. Intricately gray-toned rose-gold aluminum panels and small areas of locally produced clay bricks are applied to the building to soften up its architectural image. In order to make sure that the designing effect remains consistent with the final effect on site, a resident architect is put on the task of checking every material with the construction unit.
Design Challenge: How to let the project convey the inward temperament of traditional Suzhou architecture while the façade still remaining modern and impressive are the major challenge. The architect utilizes semi-transparent U-profile glass as the façade of the entrance, transforming it into a piece of a dazzling 'jade' of light weight, welcoming the visitors who appreciate it.
The means of organically linking the three different buildings (Showroom, fitness club, book-bar) is another challenge in the process of design. Now the introduction of a waterscape within the inner courtyard creates a fluid experience for visitors and also makes the whole space filled with richness and flexibility. All the buildings extend from the inner courtyard. The rain corridors are sometimes open, sometimes closed, and sometimes become paths leading into the inner courtyard, or into the transitional spaces. The visitor can simultaneously experience the private interior, the open exterior, and being part of the nature in this open community.
Research: The spaces between the bricks at the bottom of the building gradually decrease from the middle outwards, forming a distinct rhythm and echoing the fantastical elements of the translucent glass above. The overall effect enriches the architectural language of the building. From the inside, these gaps become windows for the reader, offering a view of the outside. At night, light shines through the perforated wall, putting up a play of light and shadow. A sunshine terrace was specifically created on the second floor, making full use of the vertical space to increase the richness and flexibility of the space.
Inspiration: The project is located in the downtown area of Taihu New Town, Suzhou, China. The owner of the project hopes that the display center can convey the same allure as the classical traditional Chinese gardens of Suzhou, meanwhile the façade be informative and impressive, and that the layout and functions conforms to the personality of the younger generation. For this reason, the area near a strip of 12 meter width city park becomes the point where the design gets started.
Project Duration: The project started in Sept. 2019 and finished in Jun. 2020 in Suzhou, China
Operation Flow: All the buildings open up to the inner courtyard. The showroom is located to the east of the three buildings. Its main function is to showcase the sand table of the real estate and to serve as a reception space; The building to the north functions as both a fitness club on the first floor and a children center on the second floor; The building to the west is the book-bar with another terrace on the second floor for relaxation. This terrace further helps to break up the view from within the courtyard. The architect avoids repeatedly using the same roof structures for different buildings. Instead three different roof types, namely, flat roof, single-sloped roof, and double-sloped roof, with varying heights, are used to achieve a richer visual effect. The main landscape surfaces of the three buildings all face to the inner courtyard. However, different architectural forms combined with the use of panels of glass with different sizes offers a unique visual experience.
Team Members: Shanghai PTArchitects
Image Credits: IMAGE by Yuan Yang