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PROJECT REPORT: CULTURAL, CIVIC & FAITH BUILDINGS
The form “subtly manifests the fluidity and erosion of rock through the curvilinear facade”
The buildings’ design began as a simple rectangle, with each then morphing into its own unique shape, with a series of public plazas and walkways connecting the three buildings. The aim was that each of the buildings would have its own identity, while retaining similarities that tie the complex together as a whole. The library’s facade tilts up and outwards, where the Youth Palace is split and curved around a central courtyard that opens out. The performing arts centre has a wave-like facade, referencing both the estuary it sits alongside, and the two theatres it houses, and also giving the impression of “fluttering like stage curtains,” say the architects. The centre is the complex’s flagship building, serving as “the intersection of the cultural axis and the landscape park, connecting with the natural landscape,” Yim explains, as specified in the brief provided by the client developer, OCT (Overseas Chinese Towns Holding Company).
A sense of cohesion
Achieving cohesiveness across the three buildings was of key importance, and proved to be one of the project’s biggest challenges. While the practice has plenty of experience with large-scale cultural and institutional projects, Yim says the “unique challenge” here “lay in expressing the uniqueness of each individual cultural
institution via a holistic and coherent architectural language.”
Geological aspects of the waterside location, and Chinese landscape more generally, provided literal cues for the architects and helped to unite the overall scheme. “The core of the design is a metaphorical translation of the erosion process of rock in a stream,” Yim says. Each building features different architectural features embodying this, while sharing the same base rectangular form. “The architecture was conceived as a coherent ensemble of pieces in the overall masterplan, tying back to the rich coastal history and metaphorical play between water and rock.”
The monolithic nature of the buildings’ rectangular base provides a contrast with the overall more ‘natural’ design feel of these elements, as Yim explains: “The juxtaposition of different formal languages echoes with the complexity and organic character of the natural environment.” Part of the reason for the monolithic design was to give the complex the prominence the client wished to achieve for the project. “The architecture itself needs to project a monumentality befitting its cultural status,” Yim says. “But when people get closer, they will discover different parts, including the entrance courtyard, terraces and link bridges that are designed to be human-scaled and friendly.”
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ADF JULY 2022
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