The design of Loong Palace draws inspiration from the Chinese paradigm of living. In this paradigm, a home is a world demarcated by walls, encompassing heaven, earth, and landscape. A home is a space that brings peace to the mind, a world of its own. Yunfei Fang has masterfully rendered this concept into a residential building that is not only aesthetically pleasing but also functional and conducive to daily interactions.
Loong Palace features a unique C-shaped layout enclosing a central courtyard, the core of family life. The building itself is also surrounded by courtyards enclosed by the wall, forming three yards in the front, in the back, and on the side respectively. This layout isolates the residence from the environment while ensuring circulation and connection. Horizontally, there are two layers of enclosure that add to the spatial experience of the resident.
The building was realized using a variety of techniques and materials, including natural stone cladding, aluminum honeycomb composite copper plate curtain wall, aluminum panel roof, stone engraving, copper plate etching, and copper plate engraving. The total construction area is 980 sqm, with 340 sqm above the ground and a site area of 660 sqm.
The design of Loong Palace is not only about aesthetics and functionality. It also incorporates culture into architecture. The arrangement of entrances, such as the gate to the courtyard and doors into the building, symbolizes the ritual, order, and succession in a family. Decorative elements combining Confucian and Taoist ideas are sculpted on the sunny side and dark side of the building as a part of its cultural decoration.
The project was completed in Beijing, China, in June 2018. It is located in the northwest of the city, surrounded by several reserved green lands. The design integrates the landscape inside and outside the site, maximizing the natural landscape while giving full consideration to the urban environment.
In conclusion, Yunfei Fang's Loong Palace is a remarkable example of residential design that blends aesthetics, functionality, and culture. It is a testament to the power of architecture in shaping our daily lives and a worthy winner of the Silver A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award.
Project Designers: Yunfei Fang
Image Credits: Image 1#-5# Schran Images
Project Team Members: Yunfei Fang
Ting Zhou
Chen Feng
Ping Li
Wei Zhang
Nan Li
Lingyao Ouyang
Jianlong Zhuang
Bing Shao
Zengxian Liang
Project Name: Loong Palace Walking in the Moonlight
Project Client: Yunfei Fang