Titled 'Between earth and sky', this proposal for the new Gateway of Shenzhen Southern University of Science and Technology by penda is a metaphor of formal contrasts to design a campus landmark. Their design for an entrance sculpture at the University is a connection of 2 opposites: the fluid, lower part connects the gate to the gentle hills of the landscape in the background and carries a grid of lights, which can be seen as a connection to the cosmos - a contrast of the earth and the sky. More images and architects' description after the break.
There is a Chinese saying parents tell their children when they leave home for university " 大展宏图 ", which means roughly translated : "ride on the wings of an eagle to your success". The wing-shaped design for the sculpture is a formal translation of this saying.
Furthermore the landmark should symbolize a freedom of thinking on one hand and certain guidelines on the other hand, which stand for a system and order in science - a contranst of endless possibilities and technical limitations. With those opposites, the sculpture describes what a modern Technical University should stand for - a symbiosis of nature and technology.