SHENZHEN WORKER CULTURAL PALACE
Client
Public
Location
Shenzhen, China
Year
2020
Design Team
Lei Guo, Chiara Toscani, Mariano Galindez, Maria Belen Iliev, Roberto Lopato
LDI
Shuishi Design (Shanghai)
As we ponder the evolving dynamics between Shenzhen's burgeoning high-tech workforce and the city's urban fabric in the digital era, the Worker Cultural Palace emerges as a beacon of innovation in the ambitious redevelopment plan for Luohu Central District. This pioneering project, slated to be the new cultural landmark, aims to offer a vibrant public space for industry workers and elevate the East-gate Business District into a cultural/recreational hub with a regional influence that Shenzhen can be proud of. ​
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Our research methods, which incorporate cutting-edge digital technology, develop a spatial logic based on natural morphology by analyzing the critical influence factors on-site: its urban context and the surrounding complex transportation infrastructure. We use generative algorithms to calculate natural light throughout the year. These innovative methods introduce architectural solutions that provide superior quality and cultural value, reflecting our understanding of the technological advancement of the digital age.
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With its distinctiveness and ingenuity, the new cultural palace will enrich Shenzhen's urban landscape, offering a high-quality public space to invigorate its cultural and commercial activities.
CULTURAL COMPLEX - SOUTH MAIN ENTRANCE
CULTURAL COMPLEX - LANDSCAPE POND
CULTURAL COMPLEX - MAIN ENTRANCE
CULTURAL COMPLEX - LIBRARY
CULTURAL COMPLEX - LIBRARY INTERIOR
1. Identify the three main functional areas within the site and define the boundary line for each area.
2. Establish two basic grid systems based on the functional attributes of the three main areas. An 18-meter grid for the north sports centre area and a 9-meter grid for the central art exhibition area and the southern cultural complex.
5. Create the essential volume based on the estimated area of each functional building.
6. Establish horizontal linear spaces between the masses, including corridors, open spaces, and atriums, associating the vertical circulation core with the location of the atrium.
Our architectural strategy aims to preserve the site's history and draws inspiration from natural forms. We are overlaying a generative Voronoi network on a set of varying building grids on the north and south sides, respectively, to create a building that breaks away from conventional forms and creates more vibrant interior spaces.
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The north side is designed as a comprehensive sports centre park, accommodating both indoor and outdoor sports venues. The large roof, covered with gentle slope green vegetation, will provide a public realm for the city. An artificial lake at the centre will preserve the site's original memory. The cultural complex on the south side will comprise a cultural centre, performing art centre, and digital technology exhibition centre. The layout has been optimized based on factors like sunlight and walking distance, incorporating vertical traffic core indoor atrium and horizontal circulation to create a unique and continuous ample indoor open space connecting all programs.
FAÇADE DESIGN STRATEGY
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Two different façade systems were developed for each specific functional requirement of the cultural and sports complexes.
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The façade for the cultural complex is characterised by a high-tech, parametrically designed louvre system that emphasises horizontal continuity. The system reacts to the sun's intensity on each surface, gradually rotating the horizontal louvre panels to provide proper shading to respond to Shenzhen's tropical summer sun.
The façade for the sports complex, created to emphasise vertical continuity, is a GRC digitally printed rain-screen system combined with eco-wall façade panels, following an incremental modulation system, providing solid façade areas and glass openings to introduce light to the indoor sports courts.
SPORTS COMPLEX - OUTDOOR SPORT COURTS
SPORTS COMPLEX - OUTDOOR SPORT COURTS
From the outset, we analysed the interplay between the complex and the surrounding infrastructure. This pivotal consideration guarantees that the positioning of the main entrance of the building complex will be instrumental in drawing the influx of people utilising the primary public transportation in the future. Consequently, the main entrance of the cultural complex is strategically located on the southeast square. This square will serve as the entry and exit points for the planned interchange stations of Line 7 and Current Lines 1 and 3.
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Our design prioritises comfort and convenience in utilising underground space. By aligning the underground pedestrian corridor with the subway transfer floor along the South Road of Renmin Park, we have integrated small commercial spaces into the North End Sports Center and South End Cultural Center and the subway transfer between stations. Additionally, the vertical traffic cores have been strategically utilised as the anchor points to create light atria around them, facilitating the introduction of natural light to the underground commercial corridor.
SPORTS COMPLEX
3. Based on the analysis of surrounding main roads and the urban environment, determine the main pedestrian entrances, underground parking entrances and exits, and the location of the vertical traffic core as anchor points on the primary grid network of the three zones.
4. Define the most suitable walking distance algorithm based on the anchor point position and generate Voronoi patterns.
7. Calculate the direction and angle of the opening of the large atrium to meet sunlight requirements according to the Ecotech simulation and angles required for different functional buildings.
8. Fine-tune the parameters of each part to achieve the preliminary building massing.
DESIGN CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT WITH GENERATIVE TOOL
SPORTS COMPLEX - SKATING LANDSCAPE
SPORTS COMPLEX - LANDSCAPE ROOF SLOPE
LINK BRIDGE BETWEEN TRAFFIC CORE AND ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDING
LINK BRIDGE BETWEEN TRAFFIC CORE AND CULTURAL COMPLEX