The Gaiety: A Testament to Minimalist Architecture

Exploring TWAD Architecture's Award-Winning Sales Center Design

The Gaiety, a sales center designed by TWAD Architecture, is a unique architectural marvel that draws inspiration from the profound cultural context of Foshan. The design is steeped in Taoist philosophy, emphasizing a return to simplicity and nature. The minimalist design languages, simple folding lines, and abundant outdoor scenes highlight the elegance of the landscape. The building's exterior is minimalist, while the interior space resembles an exquisite cave, full of visual variations and details. The main building accentuates visual and spatial experiences with an open gesture.

The design of The Gaiety is distinguished by several unique properties. The interplay of the water surface and the building creates a balance of solid and void, reflection, and natural vibe. The building is integrated on three sides, allowing for south-facing shade and west-east air flow. The roof is uniquely folded, with the northwest corner dropping to form a double-sloping roof that softens the interior space. The northeast corner rises to create an iconic hall entrance. The blocks are divided to create a courtyard outside, providing a symmetric view and separating two functions. The building and landscape are fused, creating a fluid space that widens the view.

The realization of The Gaiety's design involved several technical aspects. The stones used in the construction adopt four modulus widths and are spliced in an irregular manner, unified and aligned with the glass with a 2m modulus. The roof marble is beveled, integrating the roof and the wall. The stone curtain wall seamed by glue has seven standard sizes, while the north facade made of non-standard stone has two sizes. The roof is formed by non-standard stone and dry-hanging honeycomb stone in three sizes. The north-south facades are made of glass curtain wall, while the east-west facades are created by a metal-framed glass curtain wall. The upper part of the west side uses a metal louver for shading.

The Gaiety's design was a result of meticulous research and overcoming several challenges. The design team, led by Tang Xiaolei, revised different schemes, compared master plans, polished the product, and checked the facade effect. In the implementation stage, detailed re-modeling of the structure and curtain wall diagram was conducted, with the model guiding on-site construction. The team traveled to two places many times, set samples on site, worked with the construction staff, and went to the Nanhai Museum for main facade stone selection. The completed building finally realizes the design concept.

The project adopts three-dimensional folding design techniques, creating simple and clean lines that appear like distant mountains. The combination of stone and frameless ultra-clear glass highlights the building's minimalist, elegant, and luxury quality, fitting people's demand for a low-key and understated luxury life. The demonstration area adopts a semi-open layout, which gives the main building a wider view and better expresses the integration among people, architecture, and nature. The Gaiety was awarded Silver in A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award in 2022, a testament to its outstanding expertise and innovation.