Imperial Mansion 社區中心 by Qiyue Architects

Imperial Mansion 社區中心 by Qiyue Architects is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2021 A' Design Award 金獎 in 建築、樓宇及結構設計 Competition Category.

金建築· 2021

Imperial Mansion 社區中心

by Qiyue Architects

Client: Qiyue Architects

A' Design Award 金獎 Winner in 建築 Category

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Verified Award Winner

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

Colors

The Design

About Imperial Mansion 社區中心

帝景華庭係一個位於中國台州玉環市中心嘅社區中心。建築嘅造型源自周邊嘅海岸景觀。簡潔嘅幾何輪廓同摺疊式屋簷令厚重嘅結構顯得輕盈。立面由大型玻璃幕牆同深淺不一嘅銀灰色鋁板構成。一系列寬闊嘅入口台階形成一個開放嘅城市廣場，並引導訪客前往二樓嘅露台。呢座建築喺第一階段用作展示中心，之後會轉為商業區。

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award 金獎

Imperial Mansion 社區中心是 A' Design Award 金獎得主，這是授予一流、絕妙而傑出設計的極為崇高的認可。金獎得主是極具創新、極富遠見且璀璨奪目的創作，反映出其設計師的天才、智慧與才幹。預計Imperial Mansion 社區中心將成為一項備受讚譽、引領潮流、氣勢恢宏的發明，帶來前所未有的價值。這件贏得 A' Design Award 金獎的設計是一個壯觀而受人敬重的項目，極大地造福並拓展藝術、科學、設計和技術的界限。Imperial Mansion 社區中心激起強烈的渴望，喚起激情，鼓勵創造力，令我們著迷。

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: The project is located in the city center of Yuhuan, Taizhou, close to the Yuhuan Grand Theater and the Yuhuan Passenger Transport Center. The area is further characterized by a complete set of living facilities, healthy traffic flow, a refreshing natural environment, and a developed transportation system. The richness of commerce and life are all gathered here. Serving as an important part of a broader urban renewal plan, this project hopes to integrate a new attitude towards the future into the current local culture.

Yuhuan is a classic example of a coastal city. The shape of the community center is derived from the surrounding beautiful landscape. The clean geometric outlines paired with the folded edges of the roof allow the heavy structure to appear light and elegant in a natural environment. The architect hopes to make up for the lack of public urban space in the city by introducing an open plan in the project. Through a series of interactive spaces, such as street-corner city squares, large areas of stairs and resting platforms, various modes of interactions with the environment are generated.
Dimensions & Packaging: The entrance-steps separate the building from the rest of the plan, allowing the lower area to become an urban public space, providing an image of community. At the same time, the ascending steps serves as a guide, leading the people flow to the second floor. This flow further serves as a testimony to the future commercial possibilities of the area. The neat and clean steps echo the overall architectural space, creating a spectacle for all visitors to remember.
Encircling the second-story is a terrace that overlooks the entire street corner. The architect hopes to further strengthen the link between the building and the cityscape, allowing the building to resonate with its surrounding environment. Visitors can linger about and visit the rich and open exhibition. In the future, when the commerce in the area is completely developed, the terrace will be connected to the interior commercial district. This inward extension is guided by the movement of people and creates a circular open-air corridor.
Tags: community Center, open plaza, urban living room, urban public space
Production Technology: The façade of the community center consists of large areas of glass walls, presenting a simple and natural sense of sophistication. At the same time, the material echoes the city landscape and prevents the community center from appearing oppressive and alienating. The color palette is dominated by various textures of gray. The combination of silvery aluminum plates and high-transmittance glass creates a surface that reflects both reality and fantasy.
Taking on the dual functions of a display center in the first phase and a commercial district in the later phase, the community center has the responsibility of being both an architecturally-inspiring space and an inclusive environment. At night, when the lights are turned on, the glass box becomes an even more magnificent sight. Here, the building plays the role of protagonist in the plan, showcasing a glimpse of what the future city holds.
Design Challenge: The community center is positioned in the southwest corner of the plot amongst a healthy flow of people and traffic. The position also allows for a clear display of the building. Taking on the dual role as a community symbol in the early stage and a commercial district in a later stage, the primary challenges of the project are as follows:
How to make the entrance more attractive while simultaneously developing it as a landmark within the city?
How to build the community center and the interior commercial district in phases while having the two smoothly integrate in the future?
How to draw a healthy people flow into the interior commercial district in the later phase of the project?
Research: The project is heavily inspired by the spirit of Carlo Scarpa, especially in the formation of the staircase, and serves as an attempt to create a landmark. Working under various limitations, the design team effectively responded to the environment and the urban culture surrounding the project, further taking into consideration the functionality of the buildings and the natural flow of people.
Inspiration: Inspired by the spirit of Carlo Scarpa, the architect hopes to reinterpret the cityscape instead of creating a series buildings isolated from the urban environment. Therefore, when planning the shape of the building, the lower part was transformed into a magnificent gray mass made up of a series of huge steps. This transformation opens up possibilities for commerce, making the community atmosphere more present and injecting an aura of city vitality.
Project Duration: The project started in Nov. 2019 and finished in July 2020 in Tai Zhou, China
Operation Flow: The urban area in which the project is located is characterized by various business interfaces and a complex flow of people. The volume of the demonstration area can easily be swallowed up by the surrounding buildings, further complicating the management of people flow. Taking advantage of the street-corner square, the architect allows the building to retreat from the city hustle in an orderly fashion, forming a plaza that opens up onto the street. This provides an open space for nearby residents to rest. Through these simple human interactions, life is injected into the entire area, attracting large numbers of people to gather and socialize, forming an “urban living room.”
Team Members: QIYUE ARCHITECTS
Image Credits: IMAGE by Zeng Jianghe