THE ‘SHELF’ HOTEL XIAN, CHINA
a huge set of shelves, with smaller buildings aligned on each shelf. Houses and apartment blocks on the lower levels of The Shelf Hotel will contain hotel suites, with office blocks at the top. Two shelves will be omitted
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from the lower part of the tower, to create an elevated garden including a courtyard surrounded by restaurants. Architect Francesco Gatti explains: “One main purpose of this design is to follow the needs of different inhabitants without losing the power of a strong landmark building in the cityscape. In the common buildings, the
design is a dam imposed by the architect to the mutating needs of the people and of the developing history of the city. This building wants to be an open matrix to be filled during time with the mutating expectations from a growing culture and society. The objects that will fill the
matrix will be built following the different owners’ identities, functions and real estate needs.” Gatti says that over his seven
years working in China he has learned that the construction
rchitects 3Gatti have revealed plans for a a new hotel in Xian, China, designed like
here follows “very strictly and spontaneously the flow of economy without many constraints from regulations, planners and building managements.” “Usually, architects build
objects where the integrity and personality is created through the beauty of the exterior shape and material, shapes and material. These have to stay clean and unchanged until the end of the building’s life. That’s maybe possible in a country where the managements and regulations are very strict and conservative and where the economy is slow, creating no development acceleration. This is not the case in China.
Here all architects get frustrated because they can make pictures of their beautiful creations only in the first month of the building’s life. After that inhabitants start to put unwanted attachments on the building: advertising signs, volume extensions, additional decorations and other additions according to their own living or business needs and personalities. Our design wants to make this dynamic attitude of Chinese culture the real power of the building façade; so that every change during time will give not less but more beauty to the building look and overall concept.”
WWW.SLEEPERMAGAZINE.COM JULY / AUGUST 2012 015
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