NanShan B&B Hotel / Priestman Architects. Image Courtesy of Luyi Photograph
A border city can be classified as an urban agglomeration close to the boundary of two countries, states, or regions. Nowadays, as our cities are rapidly expanding and our transportation modes continually upgrading, the boundary between cities and rural areas has been constantly pushed and redefined.
Ever since the period of the Renaissance in Europe, the indivisible relationship between art and architecture has long been heatedly discussed and vividly reflected in numerous classical books and buildings. With the deep connection that unites art and architecture together, designers, artists, and architects have been actively collaborating and came up with solutions on how we can house and exhibit art in the form of changing spaces.
The American architect, designer, and futurist Buckminster Fuller once defined the Dymaxion principle as “constructing ever more with ever less weight, time, and ergs per each given level of functional performance.”
Bridge House / BIO-architects. Image Cortesia de Ivan Ovchinnikov
Metaphorically, building bridges equates to creating new opportunities, connections, and paths. The first bridges likely formed naturally with logs falling across rivers and natural depressions, though humans have also been building rudimentary structures to overcome obstacles since prehistory. Today, technological advances have made it possible to erect bridges that are both impressive and sculptural, playing a key role in transportation and connectivity. Usually needing to overcome large spans, with few points of support, bridges can be quite difficult to structure. But when is the bridge more than a connection between two points, instead resembling a building with a complex program? How can these 'bridge houses' be structured?
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.jpg?1558056313 "Exterior facade and courtyard. Image © Weiqi Jin")
.jpg?1558056433 "Exterior facade and courtyard. Image © Weiqi Jin")
.jpg?1558055203 "White room. Image © Weiqi Jin")
.jpg?1558055302 "White room. Image © Weiqi Jin")
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.jpg?1612787187 "aerial view. Image © Weiqi Jin")
.jpg?1612786692 "StrayBirds B&B seen from swimming pool . Image © Weiqi Jin")
.jpg?1612787161 "Outdoor terrain and shallow pool on 1st floor of StrayBirds B&B. Image © Weiqi Jin")
.jpg?1612786881 "B&B area. Image © Weiqi Jin")
.jpg?1611313167 "© Weiqi Jin")
