When we stopped by Steven Holl’s office in New York, Senior Partner Chris McVoy spoke to us about the firm’s latest project in Hangzhou – an International Tourism Complex. The firm has a growing presence in China and, arguably, some of the team’s strongest works (such as their Linked Hybrid and Horizontal Skyscraper) are situated throughout the region. With their most recent win, the firm will redevelop the site of the oxygen and boiler plants in Hangzhou to create a master plan comprised of residential and cultural components.
More about the project, including an video with McVoy, after the break.
Conceptually, the plan is based on the balance of Shan-Shui (mountain and water) to strength the relationship between the land and the West Lake.
Two large vertical components, the Earth and Water Tower, anchor the plan and act as a vertical gathering of the water and mountain zone. These towers serve as the organizing factor as one tower branches north toward the oxygen sector while the other branches south toward the boiler sector.
Collaborating with Transsolar has pushed the project to the next level as the new water elements in the master plan will not only become a network that connects the six larger scale elements, but will also help clean the existing industrial canals and provide a geothermal heat source.
In the oxygen sector, Latern Towers, which take inspiration from the old stone lanterns in West Lake, spring from recreational waterstrips. Photovoltaic glass curtain walls gather the sun’s energy during the day, while at night one elevation of each tower glows, reflecting the day’s energy in the water.
In the south plan, a 3D Park composed of a facet landscaped surface is punctured for light. In addition to adding a natural touch to the area, the form’s structure – a dodecahedron truss – contains a hotel, restaurants and cafes.
The master plan will include smaller forms within the minimally restored shells of the oxygen and boiler plants. These cafes, bars, and exhibit spaces will be a compliation of different artists’ and architects’ expressions.
Client: Hangzhou Urban Planning Documentation Center
Architect: Steven Holl Architects, Steven Holl, Li Hu (design architect), Li Hu (partner in charge), Chris McVoy (partner in charge), Garrick Ambrose, Human Tieliu Wu, Lan Wu (project architect), Francesco Bartolozzi, Guanlan Cao, Rychiee Espinosa, Nathalie Frankowski, Kelvin Jia, Fiorenza Matteoni, Lautaro Pereyra, Filipe Taboada, Asami Takahashi, Dimitra Tsachrelia (project team)
Young architect pavilions: Michael Bell, Peter Lynch, MOS, Francois Roche
Graphic Consultant: Lisa Maion
Program mixed use: cultural/expo, residential, offices, hotel, retails, restaurants, cafes
Project type: competition
Building area: (square) 2960075 sf/275000 sm
Site area 840341 f /256136 m
