Yulonghu: A Modern Take on Classical Architecture

Shanghai PTArchitects' Award-Winning Community Center Design

The Yulonghu project is situated adjacent to the Xuzhou New City Dalong Lake Scenic Area, a metropolitan hub that integrates finance, education, and stereoscopic landscape. The design draws inspiration from the cultural heritage of the ancient capital, Xuzhou, and the aesthetic sensibilities of Chinese style. The project aims to create a livable community center nestled between mountains and water, with perfect surrounding commercial facilities and a mature living atmosphere.

The design team, consisting of Hu Qiao, Huang Kai, and Jin Guangshan, focused on the spatial experience and detail scale in the planning and design. The community center is divided into several functional experiences, including a Community Lobby, Entrance Axis Landscape Garden Space, Water Garden Space, Curved Landscape Bridge, Front Field Space, and the main body of the Sale Office. This narrative spatial organization presents the environment as a continuous interface along the river, offering a visually captivating image.

The building facade proportions inherit the three-stage composition of classical architecture, incorporating modern techniques to reveal a highly aesthetic oriental modern aesthetic. The design of the entrance arch, in particular, underwent repeated element refinement due to early building structure and curtain wall structure design time deviations. The final design achieved a good display effect and met the expected outcome, creating a roof space that is structurally invisible from a human perspective but extensible.

The project also emphasizes the purity and cleanliness of the facade and the rhythm and texture of the material itself. The base column is made of silver point white linen insulation stone, with copper-like brushed aluminum plate applied in the entrance arch and roof lower grille. The whole design is magnificent and exquisite in detail, presenting the rituals of the Chu and Han styles with exquisite details.

Shanghai PTArchitects' Yulonghu project is a testament to the power of design to create spaces that are not only functional but also aesthetically pleasing and culturally significant. It is a shining example of how modern design can pay homage to traditional architectural principles while pushing the boundaries of innovation.