Library in the Valley / Design Center of Haoyuan Group
In the suburbs of Guangzhou, there is a health, resort, and art community, covering an area of 15,000 acres, called Tian Ren Shan Shui Land Art Community. An important building is necessary for the elderly can feel the core spirit of the community: regaining the value of life. The building should be steady enough to become a symbol of the community, and a flowing shape contains vitality and vitality, a touching space that evokes the resonance of the heart.
The project site is a triangular valley of about 1,000 square meters. Surrounded by roads on three sides, the height difference of the site is large. One side is close to a tall retaining wall. The building plan adapts to the boundary of the site, and after evenly retreating the boundary, it encloses a trapezoidal plan of about 500 square meters. The spirit of the building is regaining passion for life, the same as a movie called <<Scent of a woman>>, which tells the story about a blind officer who is about to give up his life, and finally rekindles his passion affected by a young man accompanied with him. The architectural design is inspired by the classical scene of the film, a tango of the protagonist in a restaurant: the elegance and passion of the dance symbolize the enthusiasm of life.
The building form has been simplified into two concise lines: A strong straight line forms a 24-meter-high wall. A soft and stretching curve forms the curvy roof that transitions from horizontal to vertical. The form represents the elegant tango dancers. Combined with the surrounding topography, the simple architectural form coexists harmoniously with the surrounding hills and woods, creating a powerful and comfortable visual impact.
The walls and roof of the building are as-cast finish concrete, a simple and original material to express the building’s form. The formwork process for hyperboloid roofs and gradient eaves is a challenge. The designer provides an accurate three-dimensional model, and the builder decomposes the building model into a formwork support purlin of the appropriate scale, uses CNC mold machine tools at the site to process, and finally completes a perfect hyperboloid formwork.
The interior space of the building consists of concrete walls and a roof. Sunlight can directly hit the ground through a 24-meter-high slit and creates a towering and tranquil atmosphere as a Gothic church, keeping people quiet, reading, and thinking.
