Vector Architects uses elevated walkways and terraces to connect office development in China

Chinese studio Vector Architects has completed a concrete office complex in Chengdu, Sichuan province, raised on large pilotis and connected by a network of elevated walkways crossing large courtyards.

Comprised of 11 standalone office buildings, the Luxelakes Floating Headquarters forms part of the Luxelakes Eco-City Development – a new town combining residential, business and leisure spaces.

Luxelakes Floating Headquarters is an office development that was designed by Vector Architects. Photo is by Arch-Exist

Looking to integrate the business area into the adjacent residential spaces, Beijing-based Vector Architects has combined open courtyards with raised podium levels and "green pockets". These create natural spaces for residents and workers to meet and dwell.

"We can all agree that the most beautiful moments and events taking place in an urban neighbourhood are when people meet and mingle in public spaces," said the studio.

"In this project we wanted to construct and environment able to enhance this most charming aspect of a contemporary city...a space where tenants and residents can be stimulated to unlock new lifestyle possibilities," it continued.

The office buildings surround a series of courtyards and walkways. Photo is by Arch-Exist

Three contrasting courtyards - named Vertical, Tree and Water - organise the complex, the nature of each informing slightly different finishes and cladding for the concrete office blocks that surround it.

To the north, the Vertical Courtyard closest to the city features aluminium cladding and concrete blockwork to give an "industrial quality". It overlooks the planted Tree Courtyard, where wooden cladding elements contribute to a natural-feeling environment.

The buildings are raised on large columns to create walkways beneath

To the south, the Water Courtyard is surrounded by buildings finished with glass bricks, to reflect the pools of water in the courtyard and create a "tranquil and serene" environment.

Each of the office buildings is elevated on concrete pilotis to allow these courtyards to flow beneath them, creating a variety of both enclosed and open outdoor spaces.

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Vector Architects creates network of terraces around Pingshan Art Museum

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A contrasting, curved glass building stands in the centre of the complex, connected to an adjacent block by a series of bridges on each floor.

External fire stairs are placed between office buildings, freeing up interior floor space but also creating shared spaces between them. The stairways incorporate smaller outdoor terraces and areas of vertical planting that lead up to rooftop terraces.

Pools of water were placed in a sunken courtyard

"These interconnected green clusters climb from the subterranean gardens and courtyards upwards, meandering along the sidewalls all the way up to the rooftop of each office building," said the studio.

"Rather than treating them as leftover spaces, the areas surrounding the fire safety stairs feature interconnected pockets of green space," it continued.

The plazas were designed to promote socialising

Vector Architects used a similar strategy of external walkways and courtyards in its recent design for the Pingshan Art Museum in Shenzhen, which creates opportunities for art to be displayed both indoors and outdoors.

Elsewhere in Chengdu, Snøhetta added a curving facade of black steel and glass to a factory for electric car brand Polestar.

The photography is by Chen Hao unless stated otherwise.

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Vector Architects creates network of terraces around Pingshan Art Museum

Vector Architects has completed the Pingshan Art Museum near Shenzhen, featuring a network of balconies and bridges that allow artworks to be displayed both inside and out.

The 47,000-square-metre museum gives the Chinese city its first major destination for contemporary art. It is located within the Pingshan Cultural Cluster, a hub of buildings that includes a new theatre and an exhibition centre.

Galleries open out to the terraces of Pingshan Art Museum

Despite its size, Vector Architects designed the six-storey building to be as permeable as possible, linking the park and lake to the east with the neighbourhood to the west.

At ground level, the volume is broken down into a series of small blocks, with pathways in between. They gradually join together on the upper levels, connected by the various terraces and bridges.

Plants and trees dot the terraces

This layout brings more people through the building, encouraging them to venture inside. It also creates opportunities for outdoor installations on the upper levels.

It is a similar strategy to the one employed by the studio when designing the Changjiang Art Museum in Taiyuan, which incorporates a raised public square.

Openings create through routes at ground level

"We fragmented the architectural volume to distribute the various functional spaces of the museum at different levels," said Vector Architects, which is led by founder Dong Gong.

"The spaces are stacked vertically, allowing us to set up a multilevel public platform system that renders the architecture penetrable and porous."

The first-floor terrace is accessible from the street. Photo is by Zhang Chao

Pingshan Art Museum is primarily constructed from concrete, which gives a weightiness to both the main structure and the protruding volumes.

Exhibition galleries are located on all six storeys, organised so that they can open out to the bamboo-covered terraces wherever possible.

When the museum is shut, the intention is that visitors will still be able to walk over some of these terraces and encounter artworks.

Plants and trees are also dotted through these spaces.

Galleries are located over all six storeys

"We hope that, outside of the operational hours of the museum, the building complex and its public functions could also be open to the whole city for longer periods of time," said the studio.

"The spaces under the overhangs provide ventilation as well as sheltering from the sun and rain, specifically for the sub-tropical climate of Shenzhen."

Glazed curtain walls create light-filled spaces

As well as exhibition galleries, the building also contains a large education centre, a library and a multi-purpose hall.

Spaces inside the building have a utilitarian feel, thanks to the large use of glass, metal and concrete. Glazed curtain walls are fronted by steel mullions, which help to moderate the amount of light that enters.

Concrete and metal give a utilitarian feel to the interiors

Pingshan Art Museum is located on the opposite side of the lake from the original art museum, a small building that remains in use.

Its neighbour is the Pingshan Performing Arts Center, designed by Beijing studio Open Architecture.

The museum forms part of the Pingshan Cultural Cluster

Vector Architects hopes that the building will become a busy, active space in the neighbourhood.

"In our imagination, the art museum would fully absorb the crowds along either side, as an interface that undertakes the daily life in the neighbourhood," it added.

Photography is by Su Shengliang unless otherwise stated.

Project credits

Client: People's Government of Pingshan District, Shenzhen
Developer: China Merchants Real Estate
Competition supervisor, academic planner and tender service provider: Urban Planning, Land Resources Commission of Shenzhen Municipality
Architectural/interior/landscape design: Vector Architects
Project team: Gong Dong, Yue Han, Peng Zhang, Jinteng Li, Jinteng Li, Guangli Yu, Xiaokai Ma, Dongping Sun, Liangliang Zhao, Xiangdong Kong, Yihsuan Lin , Jiadai Wu, Yun Liu, Nana Zhang, Yunhan Liu
LDI: Shenzhen AUBE Architectural & Engineering Design Consultants
LDI team: Rong Ding, Zhenfeng Liu, Zhigang Wu, Baojie Ding
Structural design: Guoqiang Zou, Zhijiang Yi
Mechanical and electrical design: Yu Huang, Xiaohua Liao, Shaoliang Xu, Tingwan Lu, Canrong Luo, Hong Zhang, Xiaowei Qi
Landscape design: Jie Zhu, Changrong Zhang, Long Shu, Ming Feng
Lighting consultant: Dongning Wang, Xiaolei Sun
Facade consultant: Wangming Zhang, Chao Cheng, Jiabin Sang

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vector architects’ completed pingshan art museum enhances the sidewalk life of shenzhen

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