‘Pleated’ and ‘woven’ façade for Jing Mian Xin Cheng in Beijing by SPARK Architects

Article source: Spark Architects

SPARK’s ‘pleated’ and ‘woven’ façade for the award-winning mixed-use development Jing Mian Xin Cheng in Beijing demonstrates that depth of experience need not be forgotten despite the speed of the central city’s expansion. ‘Pleats’ of perforated aluminium sheeting and a ‘weave’ of rippling windows resolve a variety of practical issues while referencing a textile market that formerly operated on the site.

Image Courtesy © ShuHe

• Architects: SPARK Architects
• Project: ‘Pleated’ and ‘woven’ façade for Jing Mian Xin Cheng
• Location: Beijing
• Photography: ShuHe
• Project Director: Jan Felix Clostermann
• Project Architect: Phi Wenhui Lu
• Team: Andrew Ng, Chris Taeubert
• Client: Sino OceanSino-Ocean Land Holdings Limited
• Total GFA (sqm): 87,800

Image Courtesy © ShuHe

Jin Mian Xin Cheng, an eye-catching mixed-use development adjacent to Beijing’s Fourth Ring Road, was the winner of a ‘Best Office and Business Development’ accolade at the MIPIM Asia Awards 2013. The development consists of two office towers and a retail podium immediately adjacent to the road, with a protected public plaza to their rear. Given that the massing of the blocks was predicated and constrained by the sunlight requirements of a residential development to the north of the site, SPARK’s work focused on the detailed design of the façade and landscape.

Image Courtesy © ShuHe

The inspiration for the ‘pleated’ and ‘woven’ façade was drawn from the former presence of the textile market. Says SPARK Director Jan Felix Clostermann, “The pleating and weaving effects emerged from the visualisation of the facades as pieces of three-dimensional fabric rather than paper-thin curtain walls.” Pleats of perforated aluminium sheet establish a heavily textured façade for the retail podium, while angular ‘threads’ of glazing adhere to a weaving logic that slowly dissolves as it progresses upward.

Image Courtesy © ShuHe

The ‘thickened’ facades perform a number of functions beyond enclosure. Firstly, they baffle the traffic noise of the ring road and offer a level of acoustic protection to the interior. The weave effect on the towers is thus concentrated at the lower levels, fading out with height. Secondly, in the case of the woven glazing, the façade engages with interior space by sculpting new habitable zones at the building’s edge.

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Simulateously, the woven glazing establishes new opportunities for ventilation. Clostermann explains, “The weave allowed us to add small side openings for natural ventilation. In most of Beijing’s Grade A office developments, windows are very large, heavy, top-hung panels that are difficult to operate and prone to falling. Many building operators do not allow windows to be opened for this reason, yet air conditioning is is usually switched off at 6pm and remains off on weekends.This is a problem for those who need to work beyond regular office hours.”

Image Courtesy © ShuHe

Smaller, lighter, and much easier to use, Jin Mian Xin Cheng’s side windows are thus a practical and low-tech solution to a common problem. The etremities of the ‘weave’ serve an additional function as easily accessed light boxes for night-time illumination of the building.

SPARK is an award-winning international design studio that creates distinctive buildings for our clients and great places for people. We focus on architecture’s potential to contribute positively to the experience of the city while addressing the pragmatic issues that govern each project. We work with the bold yet common-sense vision of enlarging the spaces of the city into our buildings, and of unfolding our buildings into the city – creating opportunities for layered experiences and engaging places.

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Our celebrated designs emerge from a detailed analysis of context, brief, and typology. SPARK has a multinational team numbering over 100. We work synergistically, fostering our numerous perspectives on culture and varied professional experience to achieve rich,
integrated design solutions that consider the impact on all project stakeholders. From our four offices – in London, Beijing, Shanghai, and Singapore – we have created and delivered projects in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, India, and Australia. Each one has its ownunique spark and manifests our desire to tackle and deliver on challenges that reflect the key global imperative of attaining a sustainable, life-improving environment for all.

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SPARK’s award winning projects include Clarke Quay in Singapore, the Shanghai International Cruise Terminal (MIPIM Asia Awards 2011, “Best Mixed-Use development” award), the Starhill Gallery Kuala Lumpur and the Raffles City projects in Ningbo and Beijing.

Image Courtesy © ShuHe

Image Courtesy © ShuHe

Image Courtesy © ShuHe

Image Courtesy © ShuHe

Image Courtesy © ShuHe

Image Courtesy © ShuHe

Image Courtesy © ShuHe

Image Courtesy © ShuHe

Image Courtesy © ShuHe

Image Courtesy © ShuHe

Image Courtesy © ShuHe

Image Courtesy © ShuHe

Image Courtesy © ShuHe

Image Courtesy © ShuHe

Image Courtesy © Spark Architects

Image Courtesy © Spark Architects

Image Courtesy © Spark Architects

Tags: Beijing, China

Category: Facade

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