Space "Cross" Mezzanine. Image © Bowen Hou
- Architects: Mix Architecture
- Location: Gao Guang Lu, Qingpu Qu, Shanghai Shi, China
- Design Team: Suning Zhou, Ziye Wu, tao Tang, Junpeng Mao
- Construction Team: Nantong Jielida construction services co., LTD.
- Manuscript Writer: Suning Zhou
- Area: 1700.0 m2
- Project Year: 2017
- Photographs: Bowen Hou
Facade Panorama After Renovation. Image © Bowen Hou
Text description provided by the architects. This project is located in the Beidou industrial technology park, west Hongqiao district, Shanghai. It is the top-floor space of the single office building. The original architectural pattern is the traditional gallery office mode; the floor height is somewhere between 5m-6m and the windows of traditional vertical bars are designed to be applied to the four surrounding walls.In addition to improving the physical properties such as lighting and ventilation, the client hopes to create an interesting office space with openness, transparency and a sense of the times and the future.
Elevator hall and entrance hall. Image © Bowen Hou
In the preliminary design, the idea is to transform the whole exterior wall of this floor facing south into an all-floor glass curtain wall window, which will greatly improve the indoor day-lighting and ventilation. The concept of indoor renovation is to start with the horizontal spatial integration and vertical spatial expansion and the design reorganizes the horizontal cross-shaped public transportation space, and also divides the area between open office and independent office;
Lobby Hall Panorama. Image © Bowen Hou
different color shade is used in the floor to distinguish the different functions;The design makes full use of the advantages of floor height to implant intermediate spaces and the original structural system is concealed at the same time.
Axon
By means of sorting out of the functions, two different spatial experiences can be found in two different divided horizontal and vertical spaces, and the spaces are realized by a huge cross type form with a sense of woodiness and all transportation routes are arranged in keeping with this cross type form.
"Cross" Mezzanine and Office Space. Image © Bowen Hou
This cross lies in the vertical space and clearly expresses the use logic of the space while concealing the structure and it is finally hoped that the material experience and spiritual feeling of the space can achieve a strong unity and harmony. It also introduces a spiritual logo and totem to this place where technology and creation are flaunted.
Lobby and Corridor. Image © Bowen Hou
Corridor and Bridge. Image © Bowen Hou
In order to eliminate the sense of closure brought by the huge wooden cross, and in order to add some vitality and interest to the space, vertical grille is used in the design to increase the transparency of the wall. The light introduced by the glass curtain wall on the south side is scattered into the public corridor through the interspace of the grille.A slide is also hidden in the wooden cross, which allows people working on the second floor to quickly reach the ground floor.
Staircase. Image © Bowen Hou
Passing through the slide, the dim light and shadow variations brought by the grilles on both sides and the ambiguous visual connection create a completely new experience. It is learned that during the process of use, the hidden slide in the cross is very popular, office staff often pass by this slide when they go downstairs, which also add a lot of fun to their working gaps.
Slide and Grille. Image © Bowen Hou
This design adopts architectural design method to deal with indoor space, which is concise and comprehensive, providing users with a variety of spatial patterns and experiences. When the identity and interest of the space converge here and are gradually accepted and loved by people, the original intention of the design is achieved.
Vertical Circulation and Office Space. Image © Bowen Hou