Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province, China
Located in the coastal city of Zhoushan City, Zhoushan Wanda Star Bay by Shanghai United Design Group is an urban development project that takes inspiration from its unique location directly on a riverbank.
The site’s topography is fully integrated into the project, whose main focus was to attract and direct the flow of people from the river to the building and its surroundings.
The comprehensive landscape design achieves a seamless connection between the riverbank and the building.
The building’s form is created out of the landscape, and also creates a new landscaped project in dialogue with the building.
The result is a public “living room” that is free and open to the public.
The planar contour of the building is taken from the shape of the plot, lending it a dynamic trapezoidal shape.
The ground floor is transparent and the facade facing the water is open, creating a connection between the public “living room,” blurring indoors and outdoors.
Ultra-white glass with high transmittance and low reflectivity is used in such a way that one can enjoy the blue sky, white clouds, and sea from inside the building.
The building’s service areas are concealed, so these do not interfere with the public spaces of the building.
Conceived as a ‘flower of the sea,’ the building form refers to the coastal city of Zhoushan and the Zhoushan fishery.
Its roof has it a wave-like quality, with a vivid and diverse structure.
Given the building’s complex shape, it was difficult for more typical materials to achieve the desired effect.
After studying several cases, the innovative material UHPC (Ultra-high-performance concrete) was selected.
In the design process, the designers took a variety of technical measures to reduce the possibility of collapse, deformation, water leakage, and water seepage that may occur.
For example, UHPC back-bolt steel frame was used to reduce the consumption of materials for conventional keel curtain walls and the probability of collapse.
UHPC sheets optimize the number of joints, and tongue and groove joints are left to reduce the probability of water leakage and seepage.
The back-bolt steel plate is the last water seepage barrier.
Due to high UHPC costs and long production cycle, technical measures were taken to replace them with the same-color aluminum plates in a concealed position, thus saving the costs and shortening the construction period.
Project: Zhoushan Wanda Star Bay
Architects: Shanghai United Design Group Co., Ltd.
Client: Wanda
Photographers: Shanghai United Design Group Co., Ltd.
