The Green Pine Garden
The project locates besides the highway from Shanghai to Zhujiajiao, with a 30,000 sqm green land park and two factory buildings inside that are now renovated as club restaurants. Tree blocks define both plant spices and exterior spaces. Exposed drains and stone alleys wander among different blocks to direct walking and views. The reorganization of volume and space of the two buildings follows the logic of the originals.
Several local materials and construction methods are studied and expressed here through tectonics. On the “wood building”, a screen of local pine battens folds vertically on the east part of the building to give sense of privacy for the internal VIP dining rooms and create exterior cavity space for air-conditioning machine. This wood screen therefore achieves a visual effect for views between inside and outside.
On the “brick building”, wood screens show as well on the east side to open the internal space to the landscape while solid brick walls are used on the west facade to prevent the noise from the traffic. Two kinds of traditional dark grey bricks with different thicknesses, typically used in South-East China, are composed together here in a new way. The layers of thick and thin brick alternate in a coherent rhythm, resulting in a very regular pattern of horizontal lines. A window of 3mX3m has been created by turning in the thick bricks. The corners of the brick wall make no attempt to hide the construction method of the facing.
