Showcasing Architectural Excellence: China's Top Projects of the Year
This year's architectural landscape in China has been profoundly shaped by a captivating blend of local creativity and global innovation. From monumental structures conceived by world-renowned design powerhouses such as BIG, OMA, and Zaha Hadid Architects, to intricate, smaller-scale pavilions crafted by homegrown talent, the nation has once again pushed the boundaries of design and construction. This review delves into a curated selection of these noteworthy projects, each contributing to China's dynamic and evolving architectural narrative, reflecting a rich tapestry of cultural heritage, cutting-edge technology, and environmental consciousness.
The Yohoo Museum in Hangzhou, conceptualized by Aedas, stands as a testament to this architectural ambition. Its distinctive undulating roof, mirroring an infinity loop with two interconnected rings, symbolizes the profound connection between the terrestrial and celestial realms. These rings ingeniously form two circular light wells, bathing the interior in natural luminescence. The museum's ethereal quality is further enhanced by its 'emerald glass' cladding, a translucent, multi-layered material that evokes the subtle warmth and beauty of jade, offering a crystal-like facade that seems to defy gravity. The structure's ends gently ascend from the ground without visible support, creating inviting entrances that draw visitors into its harmonious space.
Conversely, the Seaside Pavilion on Chaishan Island, a creation of GN Architects, offers a more intimate engagement with its natural surroundings. Serving as a welcoming gateway to the secluded island, the pavilion is protected by a canopy of 36 slender, leaf-shaped sails fashioned from repurposed fishing nets. These sails, meticulously connected to a central axis, sway gracefully with the ocean breeze, creating a dynamic interplay of light and shadow. Visitors are invited to recline on timber benches, immersing themselves in the panoramic seascape. To withstand the island's often tempestuous weather, a reinforced steel platform underpins the lightweight timber frame, ensuring its resilience against powerful winds and typhoons.
In Chongqing, DoDesign's Drifting Stones pavilion presents a viewing platform that ingeniously integrates with its rugged, rocky terrain. Inspired by a massive flat-topped boulder, this fully-glazed structure offers an immersive experience within the dramatic landscape. The primary viewing area is artfully concealed beneath a series of stepped, cement-coated slabs, meticulously designed to mimic natural stones. Local artisans, employing a blend of cement and regional stone powder, hand-chiseled these roof elements, replicating the intricate textures of the surrounding rock formations, thereby blurring the lines between built environment and nature.
Louis Vuitton's 'The Louis' in Shanghai emerges as a striking urban landmark, its boat-like form enveloped in a metallic skin adorned with the brand's iconic monogram. This three-story conceptual store dedicates its initial two levels to an exhibition chronicling Louis Vuitton's storied history and cultural impact, while the uppermost floor hosts a café featuring a sunken terrace. The design team envisioned the boat silhouette as an homage to Shanghai's historical significance as a port city and 'gateway to the east,' while also subtly referencing the brand's heritage in crafting trunks for seafaring voyages, encapsulating a blend of local narrative and global luxury.
OMA's Jomoo headquarters in Xiamen dramatically redefines the corporate skyscraper. This 105-meter-tall edifice serves as the main office campus for China's leading sanitaryware manufacturer. Drawing inspiration from Fujian province's rugged, mountainous topography, OMA sculpted a mountain-like base for the tower, achieved by elevating the podium to create a series of angular facades. The glazed exterior is adorned with white ceramic stripes, a deliberate choice echoing the traditional window tracery common in local architecture and subtly referencing Jomoo's core product material, creating a harmonious blend of regional influence and contemporary design.
The Maiji Mountain Visitor Centre in Tianshui, a collaborative effort by ZXD Architects and the Beijing Institute of Architectural Design (BIAD), is a ring-shaped structure that celebrates the rich history and culture of the nearby UNESCO World Heritage site, famed for its ancient caves, grottoes, and Buddhist carvings. The design thoughtfully incorporates the Buddhist ritual of circumambulation—moving clockwise around a sacred site—by arranging six volumes within the ring form, guiding visitors through a spiritual journey. These volumes, which also allude to the Six Paths of reincarnation in Buddhism, encircle a tranquil pool. Each section is clad in sandstone panels, subtly echoing the geological formations of Maiji Mountain, connecting the building deeply to its context.
In Guiyang, Atelier Xi's AYDC Public Art Centre is composed of three sculptural, stone-clad pavilions that house a library, an event space, and an outdoor stage. Drawing inspiration from the Guizhou province's indigenous karst cave formations, each pavilion features a unique, carved interior. The library boasts a grand, vaulted ceiling and a sunken reading pit encircled by full-height glazing, offering a serene intellectual sanctuary. The chapel, characterized by four bulging walls shaped like inverted arches, forms an intimate events space, while the central stage is defined by a single arched section providing shelter for a concrete plinth, harmonizing natural forms with functional design.
BIG, in collaboration with ARTS Group and Front Inc, conceived the Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art located beside the Jinji Lake waterfront. Their design reinterprets 'lang'—a traditional Chinese architectural element of a long, sheltered corridor connecting various pavilions, commonly found in historic Suzhou gardens. Each museum structure is clad in rippled and curved glass and warm-toned stainless steel, reflecting the surrounding sky, water, and gardens, seamlessly blending with its environment. Bjarke Ingels, BIG's founder, described the museum as 'a garden of pavilions and courtyards,' with individual pavilions interwoven by glazed galleries and porticoes, creating 'a Chinese knot of interconnected sculpture courtyards and exhibition spaces,' embodying a modern interpretation of ancient aesthetic principles.
Finally, the Greater Bay Area Sports Centre in Guangzhou, a masterpiece by Zaha Hadid Architects and local firm Guangdong Architectural Design and Research Institute (GDAD), is inspired by the majestic hulls of traditional Song Dynasty sailing ships. This expansive center comprises a 60,000-seat stadium, a 20,000-seat arena for basketball and indoor events, and a 4,000-seat aquatic center featuring a swimming pool and diving well. The stadium's roof is an intricate system of layered elements designed for passive cooling and ventilation, which Zaha Hadid Architects poetically described as 'emulating the pleated silk structures of traditional Chinese fans,' an elegant fusion of form and function rooted in cultural heritage.
The Pujiang Platform in Chengdu, revitalized by the Dutch studio MVRDV, stands as a testament to integrating modern design with ecological mindfulness. This viewpoint, nestled in the Chengdu hills, features a domed roof luxuriantly covered in grass, seamlessly blending into the natural topography. A dramatic projecting balcony extends over the new town of Pujiang, offering expansive views. Constructed primarily from timber, the platform underscores a commitment to nature preservation and a reduction in embodied carbon. Inside, the upward-sloping roof and downward-sloping floor create a 'telescopic effect,' as described by MVRDV, drawing visitors inevitably towards the magnificent viewing window and the cantilevered balcony.