VHARC

SHENZHEN SPO CITY PLANNING OFFICE

Shenzhen City Planning Office

Invited competition entry in collaboration with Shenzhen General Institute of Architectural Design and Research

2005

Location:

Shenzhen, Guangdong, China

Design:

Vesa Honkonen

Team:

Anja Hämäläinen, Tomoko Nagaya

In collaboration with:

Shenzhen General Institute of Architectural Design and Research / Meng Jian-min, President Chief Architect

Fang Hai, Architect, Professor

SPRING STORY

The song called Spring Story was written in 1992 after Deng Xiaoping had visited Shenzhen and confirmed the model of experimental marketing economy. The song tells that when the spring came, an old man draw a circle to near South Sea of China. Shenzhen became at the same time an opening, passage to Hong Kong, to serve Hong Kong, and to the rest of world. At the same time it was like a combination of Pearl River, slowly flowing through South China and at the same time a friendly Great Wall, ready to open and adapt, not just to close. Could this building be like Shenzhen? Something which used to be closed and is now open. Something sharp and smooth at the same time. Dragon and Fenix at the same time.

This building is standing on a waving platform. Concrete yard is waving like a sea, now frozen to its form. Building consists of two parts which belong together. Sharper blue green body is horizontal, rusty red and brown part is rounder and vertical. Three holes penetrate through them. First whole is sharp and vertical. Second hole is free formed and largest. Third hole is exact and small.

At the same time these three holes have a symbolic meaning on many different levels, presenting the combination of closed and open, they offer a chance for an interesting office atmosphere. Holes divide each floor to right scale departments. They also provide unique condition of daylight without any additional heat load, since they are hidden deep into building body. Offices will get smooth and not too bright natural light. This way the walls exposed to direct sunlight can be much more closed

This building has a skin. Green blue part has a dragon skin. It is a curtain wall system with steel frame. The steel frame is horizontal and it will be gladded with glass parts and solid metal parts. The metal could be pre patina zinc. The structure of the building can be either concrete or steel with beam – column system with concrete slab. Elevator and stair shafts will stabilize the structure.

Red brown part is the Fenix. Its vertical surface has the same curtain wall structure as the Dragon. Both wall types have the free rhythm of solid and glass panels and part of the glass panels are provided with shadow formatting panels which are like scales opened from the skin.

At the same time the sharp has roundness and the round has sharpness. These forms get more and more solid parts on their skin as closer we get to the top in order to create a roof.

At the waving garden, let’s call the yard that way, there are the Dragon Eye lighting fixtures. They stare to different directions casting yellow or blue light, they look around the corners, they watch the place. They have different scales, they are the flock of flights. They have even climbed on the building, walking on the roof and walls, staring in staring out. They cast the light on Fenix. Dragon will glow steadily a little, Smoothly glowing Dragon, surprisingly lit Fenix. Every night at 9 o’clock they will start to sing. Their sound is the same as the old clock work instrument cast in bronze in China 3000 years ago, they play for five minutes, their lights start to play. Few of the lighting fixtures can even bend their heads and move. The Dragon eyes are checking that everything is fine. Then it is time for rest.

But when the morning rises, these bells in the lighting fixture will start the “Shenzhen Speed” again.