Project: Vanke·City Growth Hall
Award: Residential Design – Residential Developments, Gold, 2022
Location: Chengdu, Shanghai, China
Design practice: More Design Office
Client: Vanke
This former factory building, dating back to the 1950s, has been transformed into a multi-purpose city hall, offering exhibition and events spaces, offices and meeting rooms. It was formerly home to an electronic tube factory which produced oscilloscopes – devices which measure electrical voltages – and cathode ray tubes used in early television sets.
The designers used these products as their starting point. The interiors feature metallic and glossy finishes and a series of graphic lighting elements including an immersive 3D screen in the entrance, all juxtaposed against the old factory building to dramatic effect. The three-storey building is connected by a central staircase, lined with a ceramic tile wall which depicts the hibiscus flowers which can be found locally. Intended as the social heart of the building, the stair case features wide steps allowing informal meeting and relaxation spaces.
Design highlights
A layered bamboo box, inserted in to the grey concrete structure, is home to a café on the ground floor. With a deep bamboo seat and a large picture window with a sliding glass screen which can be opened up on warmer days, it blurs the boundary between inside and out. In the first-floor bar area the ceiling has a light installation made up of rows of black and white cathode-ray televisions, designed in homage to the building’s manufacturing history.
Photo credit: Vincent Wu
- LEAD DESIGNERS: Justin Bridgland, Jaycee Chui