Revolutionizing Public Spaces: The White Z Veranda

Architect Ning Zhang's Innovative Design in Shanghai's Agricultural Park

Designed by Ning Zhang, the White Z Veranda is a distinctive structure that has transformed the Jinshan Agricultural Park into a recreational country park on the outskirts of Shanghai. The project's inspiration stems from the concept of reconnecting the images of a farmland with a contemporized area. The design aims to create a highly identifiable space that captures public attention and offers a unique experience for visitors.

The White Z Veranda's unique properties lie in its Z structure, which provides a public area for the modern Agricultural Park. This structure links multiple agricultural projects and offers various activities for visitors. The veranda, an essential element in traditional Chinese gardening, has been selected as the theme of the design. However, instead of the complex wooden structure of a traditional veranda, a simple concrete structure harmonizes the agricultural environment with the surrounding modern facilities, all while ensuring a cost-effective project.

The realization of the White Z Veranda involved overcoming several technical challenges. The Z Structure is 200 millimeters thick and reaches out for a maximum of 7 meters with the longest span of more than 10 meters, including many single cantilever structures. The design team adopted several measures to solve potential problems, such as improving the formula of concrete to enhance its strength, integral casting of walls and ceilings, and applying a three-dimensional grid and internal beams to guarantee the integrity of earth.

As a navigating project in the park, the White Z Veranda considers the park's development strategy, positioning, spaces, and functions. The designer established occasional discussions with users, including the management department, owners of surrounding agricultural projects, and residents. After more than a year of design, the project has now fully come into use and successfully met the anticipations of different parties.

The White Z Veranda project started in December 2013 and finished in May 2015 in Shanghai. The design research focused on the vitality of a space, depending on how it is involved with the behaviors of the user. The effectiveness of the design is further proved by the energetic interaction between the project and the users after it was completed.

The White Z Veranda has been recognized for its innovative design and was awarded the Golden A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award in 2017. This prestigious award is granted to marvelous, outstanding, and trendsetting creations that reflect the designer's prodigy and wisdom. They are venerated products and bright ideas that advance art, science, design, and technology, embodying extraordinary excellence and significantly impacting the world with their desirable characteristics.