Canal Source Life Aesthetics Museum
Hangzhou, a city that is thriving because of water, is the starting place of Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. The canal which has been flowing for thousands of years has nourished many natural and cultural landscapes of Hangzhou. As one of the three world cultural heritage sites in Hangzhou, the canal links the eastern and western Hangzhou through Gongchen Bridge, a bridge across the canal. While strolling along it, you can feel the leisure of slow life. With the development of the city, the Northern part of Hangzhou will soon be built into a canal bay complex against Sydney Darling Harbor. When the ancient and the present meet here, we respond with a design to outline an eclectic lifestyle.
Extract architectural language from the ancient canal
The building is located on the west side of the canal in Gongshu District, Hangzhou. It is about 1.5 kilometers away from Gongchen bridge and is separated into two independent exhibition centers with clear display functions. The surrounding Qiaoxizhi Street Historic District witnessed the development of modern industrial development in Hangzhou from the late Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China. Due to the expansion of the city, this area has become a part of the city center of Hangzhou. With the changes of the times, the transportation function along the river has gradually been replaced by recreational and cultural display functions, but the preserved historical buildings have certain common symbols. Whether it is a low-rise residential building with gray wall and black tiles built in late Qing Dynasty, or a townhouse or dock warehouse built during the Republic of China, they all have a "sloping roof". We make a summary from the architectural form so as to show the traditional heritage of the project to respond to the original texture of the base.
Modern interpretation of structural integration
The designer further explains the new look of the canal in simple modern language. The structure is integrated with the roof and the wall are made of the same material, which gives the traditional facade a relatively contemporary sensory experience and creates a sense of volume in the building. The front of the building is surrounded by quiet water connected to the canal. This presents a floating vision of the building. Staying at the entrance, the light ramps are spread out on the water, and the section cutting plane is in sight, allowing you to experience the elegance of the interior. The color and texture of the material also imitate the surrounding traditional buildings. The elegant dry hanging tiles add a sense of lightness to the building.
A theater-style view
Since the entrance of the base is narrow and shared, in order to guide the flow of people, we add roofs of interlaced ramp to strengthen the entrance center area and enrich the architectural form. The bamboo trees are densely planted on both sides of the ramp, well matched with the light and shadow of the building's grille. After emotions of visitors are enhanced, the space is transformed and the panorama of the canal is viewed. On both sides of the indoor area, there is a frameless long and wide screen, which integrates the canal and the opposite city landscape into the frame, making full use of the canal resources. The view along the canal is intricate and moving, and you can walk out of the building to get close to the riverside scene.
Conclusion
As the exhibition building, the Canal Source Life Aesthetics Museum aims to create a beautiful atmosphere of “Riverside House” and convey the spiritual qualities of poetry and fireworks. Tracing back to the source, when designing, we respond to the regional characteristics and explore the historical context of architecture and places, and create a work that conforms to the times and temperament according to local conditions.
