ARCHITECTURAL FOCUS
Exhibition spaces are formatted around the winding pedestrian ramps that rise through the structure with digital screens and projections. Carefully placed hanging points in the concrete walls and ceilings have been added for displaying objects.
Passive strategies have been incorporated throughout, reducing the building’ s overall energy consumption, such as employing tunnel cooling for fresh air supply, using thermal mass to reduce indoor temperature fluctuation, improving cross-ventilation by operable openings on both shells, and removing hot air through chimney effect.
OPEN Architecture has translated the world’ s invisible energies of air, light, sound, and planetary orbits into a physical architectural expression, creating an experimental yet flexible building. Now serving a multitude of cultural and community programming, and acting as a beacon for a rapidly growing city, Sun Tower connects visceral experiences and the formless forces of nature.
OPEN’ s founders, Huang Wenjing and Li Hu, hope that the Sun Tower will reconnect people with ancient wisdom in respecting nature, and will help restore the spiritual power of nature in everyday life— to them, this is critical in fighting the worsening climate crisis— we need to change not only our lifestyle but also our belief system.
Technical sheet Design Year: 2019-2024 Status: Completed Client: Yantai YEDA City Development Group Program: outdoor theater, digital gallery, library, phenomena space Building Area: 4,960 m ² Site Area: 9,850 m ² Location: Yantai, China
Credits Architectural, Interior and Landscape Design: OPEN Architecture Principals in Charge: LI Hu, HUANG Wenjing Project Team: Design Phase: CAO Mengxing, LIU Xiaoyang, Daijiro NAKAYAMA, LU Di, WEN Peng, WEI Zihao, ZHANG Ziyao, LIN Jingran, Crystal Kwan, BI Shunjie, Giovanni ZORZI, Anastasiia MASLOVA CA Phase: LU Di, Daijiro NAKAYAMA, WANG Dongsheng, LIU Dandi, TANG Junhan
Structural & MEP: Arup Local Design Institute: Shandong Pulaien Engineering Design Co., Ltd. Landscape Construction Document: Yantai Urban Planning and Design Institute Special Fireproof Design: Institute of Building Fireproof System, CABR Scenographer: dUCKS scéno Curatorial Consultant: Aric Chen Lighting Consultant: Ning Field Lighting Design Photo credit: Jonathan Leijonhufvud Photo credit: Iwan Baan
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