Continuation of Spatial Context and Recovery of Urban Memory
Each site has its own specific background of urban culture and each design is battle between sense and sensibility.
Overview
“The Bund 188”is an explorative practice in the progress of urban update, which is defined by gad to be “a sensible solution from the perspective of city”. Restricted by all kinds of objective factors, it is expected to build a real and vigorous urban scenario out of an expedient and proactive design attitude.
A Jigsaw in Urban Update
Located in Hongkou District, Shanghai, the Bund 188 adjoins an important high street in the city on one side and backs a sidewalk branch artery in a small scale. Hongkou District in Shanghai used to be a well-known international public concession earlier in the period of the Republic of China. Whereas, in the existing urban pattern, it occupies a position of linking new and old urban centers, connecting the Bund in the old days and facing the Lujiazui Financial Trade Area. Situated in the massive urban update, it is a place where prosperity and oldness co-exist.
A Practice in Reason
What is exactly posture of building in this project? It is believed that the “Baiyulan Plaza”—the first high-rise building in Puxi, which is less than a km away from the site, is on behalf of the disposition of spire of Hongkou District; of course, it is not the surrounding building cluster in pure function built decades ago, which has no sense of continuation of urban context.
Concerning such a lot in small scale in the bustling city, it is expected to recover premium experience of mansion in the old days by low-pitched and restraining building language, sustain historical memory of Hongkou District by classical and familiar aesthetic style, and join the progress of urban update by simple and modern construction technique.
A Memory of City
“Retreating in Order to Advance Sustaining Urban Context”
Complying with scale of base, four simple building volumes are to be applied to segment numerous areas in space. By techniques of front court of etiquette, water courtyard, inter-residence footpath, colored pond at the end, etc., it is expected to realize exquisite and elegant spatial experience from the perspective of those on foot in combination with building lobbies and overhead settings. By means of building crossing, corner retreating and leading, etc., it is expected to introduce the logic in the level of “big zone, small block and back street” into the area, sustain the modernized design language indoors, realize reasonable transition from old to new buildings out of modest attitude, and cater to spatial appeal of urban update by proactive strategy.
“Simplifying to Recover Memory of Shanghai”
Classical aesthetic elements are closely related to clear hierarchical performance. It is expected to, in the three-dimensional great framework, show modernization of urban update by simple shape and integrity and sensible three-dimensional grid; in the façade treatment in the secondary level, it is expected to reflect building mapping of international concession in Shanghai in the old days by intentional design elements; in overall design concept, it is expected to integrate historical settlement and modern atmosphere in the area by restraining technique and reserved design emotion.
Summary
“The Bund 188” is a practice of not fully idealized urban update to undergo market competition and test: it is expected to make coordination with environment, dialogue with history, feed back characteristics of the times, prevent being submerged in the urban background, discourse its rationality by proper insistence and innovation, and interpret building connotation by expedient and proactive design strategy.
