ZH2_NanSha Culture Cloud

The project is a mixed use development in NanSha District, GuangZhou. The total project area is about 60.000 sqm. 

The project's brief, at first, was about 2 facing plots, with distinguished and separated functions [commercial + residential and culture + office space]. Furthermore, it was in plan to place 3 separated towers, one on the left plot and two on the right plot. 

N1: The brief required 2 different functions on the north plot. The presence of 2 towers will kill the public space and deliver low quality living and working spaces.

N2: Our first idea is to merge the 2 functions and open a big public space at the road level

N3: The previous layout doesn't respond to an urban environment and doesn't connect properly the 3 plots. We decide to physically connect the plots: the part of the building above the road will host public spaces, giving a great service for the local residents.

N4: A rotation is applied to the building

N5: This improves the solar exposure

N6: And improve the views towards the park and generally to the southN7: The "big box" doesn't look familiar or human-scale friendly, thus we pushed the edges down to allow the public flow to climb the building and improving the relationship with the squares.
-N8: The east façade is shrinking to improve the relationship with the park and the smaller buildings facing our development.
-N9: Maintaining the road access between the north-east and south-east plots

-N10-11-12: separated and high-efficient vertical transportations

N13: The public space above the road [from now on the "Hyperspace"] hosts public facilities. These are inserted as floating boxes in a big hall.
-N14: to respond better to the functions hosted, the boxes rotates along a diagonal
-N15: Creation of a monumental space as a City lobby, hanging gardens and people's interaction place
-N16: The public will be allowed to climb the tower through an external path reaching the top
-N17 The external path will be linked to the Hyperspace and the commercial for a continuous, seamless public experience

The public overhanging space is occupied by the "Hyperspace", a cultural "cloud" intended to offer the future inhabitants a knowledge hub. This is wrapped by a public hall, where the people could go to escape from the harsh weather conditions of these latitudes.

The Hyperspace hosts a Learning center, a Business center, an Auditorium and a museum. These spaces are also cutting the skyscraper volume to engage a visual relationship with the surrounding and to attract the pedestrian attention.