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Sliced Porosity Block, China : Chengdu Buildings
Sliced Porosity Block Development design by Steven Holl Architects
Steven Holl Architects in collaboration with Spirit of Space has created two short films on the Sliced Porosity Block – CapitaLand Raffles City, completed in November 2012 in Chengdu, China
20 Feb 2013
Sliced Porosity Block Chengdu
Film with US architect Steven Holl:
Sliced Porosity Block Film on Vimeo
Filmed in November 2012, A Conversation with Steven Holl presents Steven Holl on site as he explains the design concept. The film Sliced Porosity Block explores the project in its urban context and as a public space in the city of Chengdu.
Film without Steven Holl architect, NYC:
Sliced Porosity Block – CapitaLand Raffles City Film on Vimeo
In the center of Chengdu, at the intersection of the first Ring Road and Ren Ming Nam Road, the Sliced Porosity Block forms large public plazas with a hybrid of different functions. Creating a metropolitan public space instead of object-icon skyscrapers, this three million sq ft. project takes its shape from the distribution of natural light.
The required minimum sunlight exposures to the surrounding urban fabric prescribe geometric angles that slice the exoskeletal concrete frame of the structure. The building structure is white concrete organized in six foot high openings with earthquake diagonals as required, while the “sliced” sections are glass.
New photo of the exterior:
photo © Iwan Baan
The large public space framed in the center of the block is formed into three valleys inspired by a poem of the city’s greatest poet, Du Fu (713-770), who wrote, “From the northeast storm-tossed to the southwest, time has left stranded in Three Valleys.” The three plaza levels feature water gardens based on concepts of time—the Fountain of the Chinese Calendar Year, Fountain of Twelve Months, and Fountain of Thirty Days. These three ponds function as skylights to the six-story shopping precinct below.
New photo of the interior:
photo © Iwan Baan
Establishing human scale in this metropolitan rectangle is achieved through the concept of “micro urbanism,” with double-fronted shops open to the street as well as the shopping center. Three large openings are sculpted into the mass of the towers as the sites of the pavilion of history, designed by Steven Holl Architects, the Light Pavilion by Lebbeus Woods, and the Local Art Pavilion.
New photos:
photos © Iwan Baan
The Sliced Porosity Block is heated and cooled geo-thermally with 468 wells at 90 meters deep. The large ponds in the plaza harvest recycled rainwater, while the natural grasses and lily pads create a natural cooling effect. High-performance glazing, energy-efficient equipment and the use of regional materials are among the other methods employed to reach the LEED Gold rating.
New photos:
photos © Iwan Baan
Sliced Porosity Block, Chengdu, China – new photos added 1 Mar 2013
11 Sep 2012
Sliced Porosity Block in Chengdu
Steven Holl Architects Celebrates Pre-opening of the Sliced Porosity Block in Chengdu, China
Steven Holl Architects celebrated the pre-opening of the Sliced Porosity Block-CapitaLand Raffles City in Chengdu, China with a visit of the Prime Minister of Singapore. The Sliced Porosity Block will be fully completed later this Fall.
images : Steven Holl Architects
Sliced Porosity images / information from Steven Holl Architects
20 Sep 2011
Sliced Porosity
Steven Holl Architects’ Sliced Porosity Block Tops Out
The Sliced Porosity Block—the Raffles City development designed by Steven Holl Architects in Chengdu—celebrates its topping out at 123 meters. Located just south of the intersection of the First Ring Road and Ren Min Nan Road, the 3 million square feet mixed-use complex consists of five towers with offices, apartments, retail, a hotel, cafes, and restaurants.
photos from Steven Holl Architects
The project’s sun sliced geometry results from careful study of daylight exposures to the surrounding urban fabric. Porous and inviting from every side, five vertical entrances cut through a layer of micro-urban shopping before leading to the elevated public ‘Three Valley’ plaza.
A great urban terrace on the scale of Rockefeller Center, this multi-level plaza in the center of the complex is sculpted by stone steps, ramps, trees, and ponds. Here the public space parallax of overlapping geometries is supercharged by color that glows from the shops positioned underneath the plaza.
The three generous ponds on the plaza are inspired by a poem by the Chengdu poet Du Fu (713-770), ‘From the northeast storm-tossed to the southwest, time has left stranded in Three Valleys.’ These three ponds function as skylights to the six-story shopping precinct below. Residing in voids in the facades are pavilions designed by Steven Holl and Lebbeus Woods.
The Sliced Porosity Block is heated and cooled geo-thermally and the large ponds in the plaza harvest recycled rainwater while the natural grasses and lily pads create a natural cooling effect. High-performance glazing, energy-efficient equipment and the use of regional materials are among the other methods employed to reach the LEED Gold rating.
Steven Holl states, “With great enthusiasm we celebrate the topping out of our Sliced Porosity Block, which will be a wonderful contribution to the metropolis of Chengdu. The new public space framed by these skyscrapers is environmentally state-of-the-art, with a poetic form shaped by sunlight. The skyline of Chengdu will have a new brilliant presence that marks the offering of a place of gathering and joy. With deepest thanks we also celebrate all those whose work on this project brings it into reality.”
The building is scheduled for completion in late 2012.
Sliced Porosity Chengdu images / information from Steven Holl Architects
Sliced Porosity Block Chengdu by Steven Holl Architects
STEVEN HOLL ARCHITECTS TO BUILD A ‘SLICED POROSITY BLOCK’ IN CHENGDU, CHINA
Feb 2008
images : Iwan Baan
New York City, February 25th 2008 ‘ Steven Holl Archit ects (SHA) has recently been commissioned by CapitaLand China, to realize, a large mixed-use complex in Chengdu, China. Scheduled to open in late 2010, this ‘giant chunk of a metropolis’ houses a hybrid complex of generous public spaces flanked by five towers with offices, serviced apartments, retail, a hotel, cafes, and restaurants. The 105,000 square feet site is developed to maximize public open space and to stimulate micro-urbanism.
image : Steven Holl Architects
The ‘Sliced Porosity Block’ will be located just south of the intersection of the First Ring Road and Ren Min Nan Road. Its sun sliced geometry results from minimum daylight exposures to the surrounding urban fabric prescribed by code. Porous and inviting from every side, five vertical entrances cut through a layer of micro-urban shopping before leading to the elevated public ‘Three Valley’ plaza.
A great urban terrace on the scale of Rockefeller Center, this multi-level plaza in the center of the complex is sculpted by stone steps, ramps, trees, and ponds and caters to special events or to a casual afternoon in the sun. Here the public space parallax of overlapping geometries in strict black and white is supercharged by color that glows from the shops positioned underneath the plaza.
The three generous ponds on the plaza are inspired by a poem by Du Fu (713-770), in which he describes how ‘Time has left stranded in Three Valleys’. (Du Fu was one of ancient China’s most important poets, who spent a part of his life in Chengdu).
These three ponds function as skylights to the six-story shopping precinct below, and are pierced by diagonal stray escalators that thrust upwards to three ‘buildings within buildings’. Residing on voids in the facades of the sculpted blocks these pavilions are designed by Steven Holl (history pavilion), Lebbeus Woods (high tech pavilion), and Ai Wei Wei (Du Fu pavilion).
images : Iwan Baan
The ‘Sliced Porosity Block’ is heated and cooled geo-thermally and the large plaza ponds harvest recycled rainwater while the natural grasses and lily pads create a natural cooling effect. High-performance glazing, energy-efficient equipment and the use of regional materials are just a few of the other methods employed to reach the LEED gold rating.
image : Lebbeus Woods
The ‘Sliced Porosity Block’ is the third large urban development SHA is designing in China and led by Steven Holl and Li Hu. Currently under construction are a floating horizontal skyscraper over maximized landscape in Shenzhen, the Vanke Center, and the Linked Hybrid (Beijing), a group of eight towers and 660 geothermal wells linked by public sky-bridges, which is scheduled for completion in summer 2008.
In addition to these urban projects Steven Holl Architects is currently working on the construction of the Nanjing Museum of Art & Architecture which will open in late 2008
Sliced Porosity images / information from Steven Holl Architects
Sliced Porosity Block architect : Steven Holl
Location: Chengdu, China
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image: Ai WeiWei
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