UNFOLDING CULTURE
Foshan, China
Project
Masterplan: Opera House, Concert Hall, Auditorium, Museum, Convention Center, Sports Center
Client
Foshan City Government
Size
Masterplan: 123,000 sqm / 1,324,000 sqft (Theater: 30,000 sqm / 323,000 sqft, Museum: 15,000 sqm / 161,000 sqft, Convention Center: 20,000 sqm / 215,000 sqft, Sports Center: 16,000 sqm / 172,000 sqft, Parking: 42,000 sqm / 452,000 sq ft)
Collaborators
SZAD, Valeche Studio, Ramboll
View to the North East from the River
Foshan, West of Guangzhou and North of Shenzhen, is a growing new city in the Greater Bay Area of the Pearl River Delta. The city of Foshan is building a new cultural district around a lake and facing one of the many rivers flowing through the delta. The brief for the cultural district asked for four buildings (Theater, Museum, Convention Center, and Sports Center). The conventional approach has been the design of four separate buildings using a similar architectural language. In our proposal, we designed a terraced landscape that steps up the rooftops of the Convention Center toward the top levels of the Sports Center, creating a large community garden for the surrounding communities and businesses. The Theater and Museum buildings are then “planted” into this landscape, forming a triangular relationship with the tower across the lake and a gateway at the axis through the project. With these two moves, our project integrates the ambition of the overall masterplan into one unfolded landscape of activity and culture.
Aerial View to the North West
View of the Theater and Museum to the East
View of the Museum, Convention Center, and Sports Center
Longitudinal Section
Overall Site Plan
Hydrology and Landscape Typologies
Theater Section Perspective
Typical Theater Plan
Concert Hall Lobby
Opera House Lobby
Opera House Stage and Hall
View from the Opera House Stage into the Hall
View of the Theater and Museum toward the North East
Section through Concert Hall and Outdoor Amphitheater
Section through Auditorium
Section through Opera House
Museum Section Perspective
Typical Museum Plan
Museum Entrance Lobby
Gallery Perspective
Film Screening on the Museum Facade from the Convention Center Terraces
Section through Museum
Perspective inside Convention Center
View from the Convention Center Terrace to the West
Perspective at Sports Center Entrance
Perspective of Athletic Facilities at Sports Center Balcony
Perspective at Rooftop Aquatic Center
The outer skin of the building consists of stainless steel fins supported by tensile stainless steel cables for a lightweight shading system that significantly reduces the solar load on the building's thermal envelope. 316 alloy stainless steel, which has superior corrosion resistance to chlorides and acids to resist visible oxidation, offer a maintenance free solution. The stainless steel fins will have a bead blasted finish for a uniform appearance that diffuses the light without harsh reflections. Double glazed insulated glazing units create a high-performance thermal barrier for the project. Since the glazing is protected by the outer fins, the glass can avoid reflective, colored coatings so that a neutral indirect light can filter into the building. Space between the fins and the glass with walkable zones facilitate cleaning and maintenance without a complicated rigging system.
The structural design of each of the buildings utilizes a lightweight steel structure with trusses employed to create various overhanging spaces and maximize spans while minimizing columns. The Museum and Theatre buildings both use generous cores with multi-story trusses to create floating cantilevers which appear to float above the ground plane. Key internal spaces are designed as column free to enable future-flexibility and usability. The Sports Centre and Convention Centre buildings consist of rotated floor stacks which visually connects the overall massing.
The ground and alluvial soil conditions at the site are generally expected to be poor. In addition, the high water table, from the presence of the surrounding water bodies, together with the relatively deep substructure excavation will result in high hydrostatic uplift forces acting on the basement slab. At this stage, bored piles (typically 1500mm diameter) are anticipated across the development on a maximum 12m by 12m grid.
The overall masterplan uses a centralized and integrated approach to internal climate management, site utilization, and building physics. Internal heat is rejected through heat exchange loops in the lake and ground. Wetland buffers surround the project absorbing rainwater run off and storm surge while grey water is recycled for irrigation. Building facade elements are used to shade glazing, collect solar energy through building integrated PVs, and collect rainwater. Various green roofs reduce heat load and support a range of vegetation for shading and microclimate cooling.