Marq Omotesando One: Redefining Ultra-Luxury Living in Tokyo

We are thrilled to introduce Marq Omotesando One, an extraordinary residential development that has not only captivated the discerning eyes of investors but has also is the winning project in the Sky Design Awards 2023 gold in the architecture division.

Middle: David Hoggard, Managing Director Hong Kong Studio Partner London Studio

Right: Sky Design Awards 2023 Judges: Founding partner of Voith & Mactavish Architects LLP, President of the ICAA Philadelphia Chapter, the Board of the Design Leadership Foundation. (FAIA, LEED AP BD+C, IIDA)

The Pinnacle of Luxury Living Nestled in the heart of Tokyo's fashionable Omotesando district, often referred to as the "Champs-Élysées of Tokyo," Marq Omotesando One stands as a testament to unparalleled sophistication. Developed by the Baring Private Equity Asia, this low-rise gem comprises only 14 residences, including the pièce de résistance – a sprawling penthouse occupying the entire top floor and rooftop, showcasing over 600 square meters of opulent living space.

A Residence Beyond Compare This award-winning development boasts timber-decked balconies, floating terraces, and floor-to-ceiling glazing that seamlessly integrate with the surrounding greenery, providing an exquisite blend of nature and contemporary design. The penthouse, the epitome of luxury, features four expansive terraces, a private rooftop swimming pool, and interiors that prioritize both style and comfort.

Tokyo: A Hub for International Investors Traditionally overlooked by high-net-worth foreign investors, Tokyo has now emerged as a global real estate hotspot. Savvy investors are drawn to the cosmopolitan lifestyle, favorable currency exchange rates, and the rise of ultra-chic developments designed to cater to the needs of international high-net-worth individuals.

Unrivaled Comfort and Amenities No expense has been spared in crafting the penthouse, which boasts the finest finishes and amenities, including a Gaggenau refrigerator/freezer room, double Miele ovens, and a private lift for discreet access. Residents enjoy a 24/7 concierge service, porters, valets, and a back-of-house team, ensuring a superior residential experience akin to exclusive five-star hospitality.

Omotesando: The Epitome of Elegance Situated in the exclusive district of Omotesando, Marq Omotesando One offers proximity to high-end international brands, Michelin-starred restaurants, and the vibrant culture of Harajuku. The surrounding area reflects elements of tranquility inspired by the nearby Meiji Jingu Shrine and Yoyogi Park, creating a harmonious blend of urban luxury and natural serenity.

Tokyo's Rise in Luxury Real Estate Recent reports indicate a surge in demand for downtown residential units, with Bloomberg highlighting the increasing interest of the super-rich in Tokyo's ultra-luxury homes. Factors such as sweeping views, swimming pools, and 24-hour valet services have contributed to the city's appeal, coupled with a weaker yen and low interest rates.

Invest in Elegance, Invest in Marq Omotesando One As Tokyo continues to captivate the global elite, Marq Omotesando One stands as a beacon of luxury, offering an unrivaled living experience in one of the world's most dynamic cities. Embrace the epitome of sophistication and make Marq Omotesando One your distinguished residence in Tokyo.

For more information:

For design, please visit: https://studiopdp.com

Brearley Architects & Urbanists & Grant Amon Architects have designed Australia's first LGBTIQ+ community center.

The Australian parliament passed a bill legalizing same-sex marriage in 2017 as a result of a national survey supporting marriage equality. This was a major step towards equality for the LGBTQI+ community. An open architecture competition was subsequently held for the design of the first purpose-built LGBTQI+ center in Fitzroy Street, St Kilda, by the Victorian Price Center (VPC), a not-for-profit organization. BAU and GAA were selected as winners of the January 2018 design competition.

 The VPC houses numerous resident organizations and welcomes dozens of groups for meetings, events, and projects. The building provides a public working hub, health and welfare centres, bookshop, theatrette, archives, roof terrace, and a gallery. Planned for 2022 are a café, rooftop events pavilion and community garden.

BAU and GAA enhanced the client's excellent brief by conducting workshops with user groups and indigenous communities. It is a significant landmark of Australia's cultural progress, as well as flexible workshop spaces for furthering campaigns of equity, liberty, and inclusivity as a result of the architecture. Conceptual frameworks for the design were inspired by notions of becoming and the spirit of place.

Many LGBTQI+ communities are united by St Kilda's queer history. As inspiration for the VPC, St Kilda's exotic, exuberant, surreal, and in-between cultural traditions are incorporated and abstracted. Fitzroy Street, the beach, the baths, Luna Park, Catani arch, Esplanade vaults, dance halls, and other histories are all incorporated into this process.

The urban envelope is maximized through abstract tubes, relevant architectural forms and spaces are generated, and an overarching order is established. Coexistence occurs when an internal program disrupts the conceptual tubes. The more the program disrupts the tubes, the more the forms and spaces of coexistence emerge. These emergent and surprising outcomes embrace inclusion, diversity, and difference. As a result, there is an ongoing struggle toward equity, freedom, and fellowship as a work-in-progress.

In order to create a flexible, evolving program, the VPC aims to look beyond conventional uses and spaces to challenge norms and hierarchies. A performance stage, an informal amphitheatre, and a dynamic focus at the center of the building are all found in the atrium, which provides legibility and natural light. 

A clear distinction is made between structural and non-structural fabric, indicating what is permanent and what is easily changed. Warm materials like wood, coloured ceramics and velvet curtains combine with raw structural concrete and exposed services. Coexistences like these contribute to an aesthetic of inclusion that can be further developed.

There are smaller tenancies in the building that resemble laneway shops. In these shop fronts, sacrificial timber frameworks, hanging rails, and track lighting allow tenants to adapt and experiment with the spaces, allowing authentic self-expression to emerge.

“The VPC is increasingly inspiring many people to visit and explore. With the open slide-up door, the building seamlessly integrates the streetscape, concierge desk, Pride Gallery and Forum, making the centre highly accessible, welcoming, and part of the neighbourhood. The Atrium has become a place for performance (from speeches to photoshoots to DJ sets) and a place of wonder and reflection. The rich variety of textures and materials, offering a tactile experience, creates a feeling of comfort and sanctuary for users and visitors. There is a great sense of possibility, which is so important in LGBTIQ+ spaces.”

— Client comment

Project Data

 Completion Date: 19/01/2022

Location: 77-81 Fitzroy St, St Kilda, Melbourne, Australia

Year: 2017-2022

Client: Victorian Pride Centre

Construction Cost: AUD 35 million 

Typology: Public Building, Culture, Office and Commercial

GFA: 6,200

Diagrams

Floor Plans

For more information, please visit:

Program

• Public shared work spaces; 

• Multi-function theatre; 

• Joy FM 94.9; 

• gallery; medical clinics; 

• six shared meeting rooms; 

• roof top terrace withevents bar; 

• community garden; book shop; 

• café;

• children’s room; 

• resident tenancies shared work space; 

• four tea kitchens; 

• Australian Gay + Lesbian Archives; 

• MelbourneQueer Film Festival; 

• Multi-Faith Australia; 

• Switchboard Victoria; 

• Minus 18 youth org; Koori Pride; 

• Thorne Harbour Health; 

• Monash Trans Health; 

• Star Health. BAU Brearley Architects+Urbanists

BAU Project Team Competition: James Brearley, Steve Whitford, Jens Eberhardt (Partner in Charge), Fonarri Chen, Charles Hu

BAU Project Team Documentation: James Brearley, Steve Whitford, Jens Eberhardt (Partner in Charge), Fonarri Chen, Prague Unger, Adrain Coleiro, Manny Houdek, Tammy Li

Grant Amon Architects 

GAA Project Team Competition: Grant Amon; Stephen Herbst; Estelle Peters; Karen McMull

GAA Project Team Documentation: Grant Amon; Stephen Herbst; Tony Trajikoski; Yiyang Xu; Bruno Rabl; Junbo Qu; Roberta Caione; Millicent Baddeley.

Local Council: City of Port Phillip

Town Planner: SJB Planning

Project Management: Case Meallin / Bates & Co

Quantity Surveyor: Slattery

Structural Engineer, Mechanical Engineer, Hydraulic Engineer, Electrical Engineer, Facade Engineer, Traffic Engineer, Fire Services, Fire Engineer: WSP

Acoustic Engineer: Resonate

ESD Consultant: Hip v. Hype

Building Surveyor: Checkpoint Building Surveyors

Landscape Architect: BAU Brearley Architects+Urbanists, Thompson BerrilLandscape Design

Contractor: Hansen Yuncken

Lighting Consultant: Schuler Shook

Structural Concept Engineer: Peter Felicetti

Suppliers: Shape Shell - atrium pre-cast shell, Auscast Constructions - pre-cast concrete facades, Fade Australia - acoustic plaster.

---

 Copyright

Architecture photographs: John Gollings, BAU

Diagrams: BAU

VPC opening photographs:

Speech: Luke David

Audience: Anne Papadakis

Sumei Skyline Coast Boutique Hotel Designed by GS Design.

The project is located nearby the “The Skyline Coast,” a popular tourist attraction in Sanya, Hainan, enjoying vast and open seascape and surrounded by the lovely sound of crashing waves, which can relieve people’s spirits in the immersive blue natural ambience. The designer offers two interpretations for the façade structure of this project from different aspects. About the exteriors, it looks like the ocean waves rising and falling along the shore; for the interiors, each peak of the ocean wave encloses an independent frame, presenting vivid pictures of the infinite blue ocean.

The designer excels at supporting spatial vibe with a pure white tone to present a specific and strong contrast with the sky, seascape and sunset, ensuring a photographic background for all scenes and settings. “We work to craft the space into a timely and sophisticated art piece with a long lifespan of usage by adopting this classic colour.” So says the designer on the concept.

The blue sky, vast ocean, beach and palm are collected within the arch-shaped frame to perfection, thanks to the precise aesthetic proportion. Wandering by the consecutive arch-shaped windows, people are offered a broad vision of pure white, enjoying vivid natural scenes everywhere within the area.

In functionality, the B1 floor exists as a bar and infinity pool complex, which opens in different periods respectively or serves as a proper place for pool parties thanks to the free layout with fewer partitions. Furthermore, the swimming pool visually integrates with the boundless ocean and the infinite blue sky, presenting a natural experience of swimming freely in the vast ocean.

The champagne bottle-style matrix and the golden colour complement each other to embellish the space in such a pure white context. People can appreciate the best sunset anywhere in the area when walking, standing, sitting, or even swimming. With a glass of wine, splendid natural lights and scenes, the romantic vibe in the space deserve every moment.

When people’s sight extends from the infinity pool and meets the invisible connection of pure white and blue, it would turn their perception and imagination to the roof deck.

With broad view on the roof deck of overlooking the misty green hills from afar and enjoy the vast and boundless sea in a near sight, the designer has developed the landscape to the most by dividing the space into many aesthetic settings including viewing, seating, hot spring bathing, photography areas, immersing people in a Mykonos vibe. 

The shallow water works as a mirror of the sky, the stone steps and the sunken seating area express the space order, and the arch installation forms a photograph spot… It provides a chill and relaxing interactive scene in such a fusion of nature and art.

With the broad view on the roof deck overlooking the misty green hills from afar and enjoying the vast and boundless sea in near sight, the designer has developed the landscape to the most by dividing the space into many aesthetic settings, including viewing, seating, hot spring bathing, photography areas, immersing people in a Mykonos vibe.

The shallow water works as a mirror of the sky, the stone steps and the sunken seating area express the space order, and the arch installation forms a photograph spot… It provides a chill and relaxing interactive scene in a fusion of nature and art.

The designer deconstructed the art with simple graphic morphemes, depicted circles inside the square, and made them overlap to form a loop, ensuring an in-depth vertical layered vision effect in the hot spring area. The shifting of light and shadow depicts poetry on the spatial structure; the silhouette of the waves, the afterglow of the sunset, and the ripples of the hot spring pool are all intersections of time and space.

Geometric elements such as circles, semi-circles, and squares are each a single frame, forming a three-dimensional and dramatic aesthetic scale by placing them in the back of the space.

The designer took off the visible door in the transition area of the arch to highlight the free and natural structure in the entry, making people linger in the pure white secret wonderland. Enjoying the seascape with a clear mind. The designer maximized the introduction of natural light and sea level and created a subtle perception of the scenery from various perspectives through the height difference of different furniture. When lying on the bed, people can enjoy the sparkling artistic conception at any time with their sight level up with the sea horizon.

Project Information
Project: Sumei Skyline Coast Boutique Hotel, Sanya
Location: Tianya Dristrict, Sanya, Hainan
Project Area: 3200m²
Project Status: Built
Completion Date: Dec. 2021
Owner: Sumei Skyline Coast Boutique Hotel， Sanya
Interiors and Furnishing: GS Design
Design Directors: Liangchao Li, Yuanman Huang
Furnishing Director: Yu Feng
Design Team: Chao Li, Zigeng Luo
Architecture: GS Design
Photograhy: Ao Xiang

The PolyCuboid by KTX archiLAB, Silver winning architecture project from Sky Design Awards

The silver medal in architecture from Sky Design Awards 2021.

The volumetric design is inspired by TIA’s logo turning into the building itself as an iconic building

Designed by KTX archiLAB, the project of the PolyCuboid is located in Himeji City, Japan. The PolyCuboid is intended for the new headquarter building for TIA, which provides insurance services.

The metallic structure of the building dissolves into the diverse blocs of the composition. The pillars and beams vanish from the space syntax. Projecting the impression of an object while also eliminating that of a building. The volumetric design is inspired by TIA's Logo turning the building itself into an icon representing the company.

The volumetric design is inspired by TIA's Logo turning the building itself into an icon representing the company.

The volume comprises three primary cuboid shapes creating intersections, voids, and space units. The cuboids' superposition across each other also allows a richer space syntax, including interior and exterior terraces, an atrium, several seating spaces, and precise yet more prosperous functional distribution of spaces and connections. Bridges also connect the cuboids from inside, allowing a dynamic overview of the different areas.

The first floor was shaped by the site's limits and a ø700mm water pipe crossing the site underground, limiting foundation space to half the land area. As a result, the middle volume stretching from 2nd to 3rd floor extends in cantilevers on both sides, allowing the building to gain precious square meters.

Functionally, a furnished reception and meeting space and 6 private desks and office space occupy the ground floor. The workspace continues to the next level with a conference room, CEO's room and second office space. This floor is separated into two areas by deferent floor levels, with the lower one dedicated to resting spaces, including a kitchen, a table terrace giving on the Atrium and a counter space. The third and fourth floors are devoted to recreation with various spaces such as a training room, dining space with a roof terrace and even a piano space on the Atrium. The staircase stretches from 1st to 4th level along the Atrium, although this last only reaches the third floor. However, the elevator block is the highest cuboid volume and was cladded in reflective black differently from the white cladding on all other volumes.

Identification: TIA Headquarters

Function: Office Building.

Total Area: 621sqm

Completed: 23 November 2019

Location: Himeji City, Japan.

Address: Shinzaike-1371-16 Aboshiku, Himeji city 671-1234 Japan.

Photo Credit: ©Stirling Elmendorf.

Photographer website: http://www.stirlingelmendorf.com/

KTX archiLAB: http://ktx.space/

Tiangang Art Center - The Key to Rural Revitalization

The project, located over 100 kilometres from Beijing and more than 200 kilometres away from Shijiazhuang, lies at the foot of Taihang Mountain and adjacent to Yishui Lake. The village in Yi County of Baoding City, Hebei Province, has undergone tremendous change during the past two years: 142 square kilometres of land in the area has been allocated for use as a kind of playground for architectural experimentation.

Many new creative projects have been initiated, grown, and taken root in the countryside, forming the basis for an innovative eco-village that integrates current trends in art and culture with the simplicity of traditional country life. It is not far from the city and encourages an active and engaged way of living. Tiangang Village, a circular-shaped art museum, is the leading example of the changes which are taking place in the area.

"One Stroke"  

The original semi-circular concrete frame structure sits amongst the mountains and rivers in the area, facing Tiangang Village. The initial disorderly condition of the site and fractured system evoked a village in a predicament of forced stagnation. In response, SYN Architects subsequently demolished part of the original building and then "continued" it: a slender orthogonal volume curves and spirals up along the inner arc of a semicircle, gradually completing the shape, creating a variegated relationship between seeing and being seen; a continuous, unbounded, circular architecture of balanced proportions. 

The building can be seen as a metaphor for the oriental philosophy of nature, where heaven, earth, mountains, water, and people are all harmoniously integrated. It forms an extension to the landscape, furthers the existing cultural context, and is additionally associated with art, which links the area's industry to the city and warm associations of the countryside.

Landscape Integration 

SYN Architects believes that “architecture is a means to shape the landscape, and landscape is a continuation of architecture.” Hence, this building that carries out the function of holding exhibitions can itself be seen as a work of “land art.” The main body of the building is coated with white granular paint to maintain a purity of colour - and with its pure geometric form and absence of linear directionality, it becomes a kind of enormous sunlight-catching object. Furthermore, the building’s sculptural presence is combined with nearby rice fields and villages, establishing a solid visceral connection between the building and the natural environment, enabling it to leverage its surroundings to amplify the aesthetic tension between the two entities.

The resultant architecture is the product of SYN Architects’ core problem-solving approach: the half arc of the original building faces the river’s shore and distant mountains, so 14 guest rooms are set within it, opening up to the private and tranquil scenery. The side facing the village and the main road is the primary interface between the building and the site, so public spaces such as reception and catering have been set parallel to the road, while a sizeable circular exhibition hall is placed in the middle of the volume.

Revealing the "Essence"

As visitors arrive at the Art Center at ground level and follow the path of the curve, their experience of the space is constantly changing: first passing beneath the large cantilevered canopy at the entrance of the building, bypassing the columns, then reaching the starting point of the "vortex." This is the first surprise of the space; as the ramp climbs, the building maintains a spatial ambiguity between inside and outside, restricting specific perspectives of the surrounding landscape and focusing attention towards multiple shifting views of the exhibits.

The second surprise becomes apparent after reaching the top of the ramp, as visitors come upon an open-air viewing platform at the highest point of the building, from which they may observe the scenery surrounding Tiangang Village – both its traditional face and new developments. 

This experience, where an instantaneous realization is made following an accumulated passage through many levels, is analogous to the "epiphany" spoken of in Buddhism. SYN Architects has attempted to take the vague and disorganized form of the initial project here and transformed Tiangang Village into a meaningful, structured, and effective place of "knowledge and action." This "reorganization of perception" also encompasses reshaping the "soil" of discovery and insight.

Taking the concrete structure of the original building as a base to be extended and augmented, SYN Architects has added a new steel structure, allowing the main façade to gradually twist and tilt outwards and upwards, transforming from walls to eaves. The original building's network of columns cannot support the new architecture's load requirements, so additional columns and a new structural system have been introduced. 

SYN Architects has taken this necessity of engineering and given the new organization of columns an aesthetic quality - while satisfying the requirements of bearing the new load, the pillars appear to be scattered within the space somewhat randomly, like a naturally growing jungle, which ultimately has become virtually the only 'decoration' within the entire building.

Project Information

Project Name: Tiangang Art Center

Location: Tiangang Village, Yi County, Baoding City, Hebei Province, China

Owner: IVYONE GROUP

Investor: IVYONE GROUP

Project Type: architectural design, landscape design, interior design

Design Period: 2020.02-2020.08

Construction Period: 2020.09-2021.04

Site Area: 2736.81 square meters

Building Area: 2586.95 square meters

Indoor Area: 2586.95 square meters

Floor Area Ratio: 0.95

Greening Rate: 23%

Project Function: Art gallery + Hotel

Project Team Members

Lead Architect: Zou Yingxi

Project Architects: Gao Bo, Jin Nan, Jiang Zhihua, Chen Shifang, Tian Yahong, Wang Ziqiang

Interior Design Team: Xia Fuqiang, He Min, Cao Zhenzhen, Qian Guoxing, Liu Tingting, Li Qianxi, Feng Yan, Guo Mengjia, Li Hui

Landscape Architecture Team: Xu Lu, Li Beibei, Zhang Junchao, Liu Shuang, Liang Jingqi, Shi Qingqing

Soft Decoration Design Team: Shu Kun, Gu Yuecheng

Construction: HCCI Urban Architectural Planning and Design Co., Ltd.

Structural Consultant: Beijing Zhonghe Jiancheng Architectural Engineering Design Co., Ltd.-Team Lu Lijie

Lighting Consultant: Eastco Lighting Design (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.

Cost: 20 Million RMB

Material and Manufacturers

Bamboo and Wood—Shanghai Moso New Decorative Materials Co., Ltd.

U-Shaped Glass—Shahe Longlong Glass Products Co., Ltd.

White Granular Elastic Paint—Guangdong DPV Coating Co., Ltd.

Photography: Zheng Yan

Video: Huasheng Studio

The Ultimate Nostalgia Tai’an’s Ceremony Hall - The Hometown Moon

The Possibilities of a New Hometown

An assortment of colourful banners welcomes passengers at the high-speed train station in Tai’an, China. The headlines perched above the Jiunv Crest (Nine Women’s Peak) showcase a Hometown Moon or a Hometown Cloud, inviting people to walk on the moon or wander around the cloud. The intriguing wording is part of a creative campaign inviting travellers to visit attractions lying beyond the main scenic area of Mount Tai. The strategy looks to breathe new life into Nine Women’s Peak, a branch of the famous mount that gives its name to the city of Tai’an.

At the beginning of 2019, Shandong Lushang Group commissioned Syn Architects to develop the overall planning and design of the mountainous area, its villages, and the Hometown Moon, the representative structure of the project. In no time at all, a Hometown Cloud state of mind began to spread out. Fei Xiang’s theme, Hometown Cloud, was played repeatedly in the building. The romantic song from the ’80s swayed people’s emotions, creating a nostalgic atmosphere. Nine Women’s Peak drew attention on social media, bringing new people, new faces, new industries, and new possibilities to the area around Dongximen Village. The region of humble villages became an online phenomenon that attracted thousands of tourists. During the project, Lushang Group effectively used the image of “a cloud” to demonstrate the enormous value of architecture as a communication medium.

However, a series of scattered constructions is not enough to stimulate the growth of a region. Thus, the online popularity of the Hometown Cloud slowed down in less than a year. Today, Lushang Group demands a long-term holistic approach that can connect the string of mountain villages in the 55 square kilometres area. The definition of industrial and spatial structures and the introduction of new wonders that satisfy visitors looking for fresh experiences is needed too. In this regard, Syn Architects integrates daily life, industrial development, and environmental science in every project. Taking advantage of its years of practical experience in rural areas, the firm developed client markets in Jinan, Shandong province’s capital city. Additionally, attractions such as the Balou Theater and the Hometown Moon, and their supporting facilities, were unveiled one after the other. In this way, Syn Architects returns to the birthplace of Confucianism, rebuilding the relationship between dualities such as the city and the countryside, modern society, and homesickness, searching for forgotten values and neglected possibilities.

The Moon is the Light of Our Hometown

The original concept for the Hometown Moon comes from the developer. During the Mid-Autumn Festival of 2019, a moon-shaped balloon with a diameter of 10 meters was lit up in Nianhua Bay, spreading magical colours and lights all around. Inspired by the scene, the Lushang Group hopes to light up a full moon at the Nine Women’s Peak and write the next chapter in intellectual property for designed hometowns.

Mr. Zou Yingxi, the lead architect and planner of the project, hopes to infuse a deep meaning into the artificial moon. He longs for a moon that never sets. According to this rhetoric, the building functions as a ceremony hall designed to escape conventionalisms. Among its main features, the structure attracts locals and tourists from other provinces, can host ceremonies and events, and provide spiritual and operational values that strengthen the village’s resources.

An ancient poem from the Song Dynasty ponders the nature of perspective and emotion: “the clouds and the moon remain the same, but mountains and rivers evolve throughout time.” Modern-day catalysts are also capable of evoking nostalgia, regardless of location. As such, an architectural poem about the moon does not need to relate to the classical symbol. Under this philosophy, Syn Architects combines abstract geometrical shapes and simple materials to create a pure space with complex visuals that stimulate the soul, leaving traditional figurative expressions behind.

The Route Guidance

The parking lot is the last reminder of modern civilization. To access the Hometown Moon, visitors must go through a purifying road. It takes about five to ten minutes to walk along the path between mountains and streams. The entrance lies behind a boulder. From here on, visitors begin to enjoy communion with nature. Birds singing, insects chirping, rustling leaves, gurgling streams, and hearts beating with joy and anticipation; the sounds of nature make visitors feel at ease. After crossing a mountain, a river, and exploring a few curved pathways, visitors finally arrive at the building. Here, they ponder about the intriguing nature of the architecture. And on the emotional side, their senses of hearing and smell are stimulated by their natural surroundings.

The long and winding paths increase the curiosity of visitors. Attracted by a building in the middle of nature, they suddenly find themselves inside the structure, wondering about the charms of an inverted moon. Like Buddhist meditation, the experience develops insight by feeling the background of mountains and forests to complete a mental reorganization, soothing the souls of urban residents. Along the plank road, there are playgrounds, cabin camps, bonfire areas, and anti-fog devices. These and other similar spaces enrich the experience and the dimension of the project.

Bridges on top of the structure allow visitors to contemplate the moon by the reflecting pond without entering the building. There is a plank road connection between the group of bridges and the mountain that grants access for this purpose. If there is an ongoing ceremony in the room, the door on the roof can be closed to avoid interference. If there is no activity in the room, visitors touched by the moon on the ceiling can enter the building and contemplate the lower half of the moon.

The parking lot is the last reminder of modern civilization. To access the Hometown Moon, visitors must go through a purifying road. It takes about five to ten minutes to walk along the path between mountains and streams. The entrance lies behind a boulder. From here on, visitors begin to enjoy communion with nature. Birds singing, insects chirping, rustling leaves, gurgling streams, and hearts beating with joy and anticipation; the sounds of nature make visitors feel at ease. After crossing a mountain, a river, and exploring a few curved pathways, visitors finally arrive at the building. Here, they ponder about the intriguing nature of the architecture. And on the emotional side, their senses of hearing and smell are stimulated by their natural surroundings.

The long and winding paths increase the curiosity of visitors. Attracted by a building in the middle of nature, they suddenly find themselves inside the structure, wondering about the charms of an inverted moon. Like Buddhist meditation, the experience develops insight by feeling the background of mountains and forests to complete a mental reorganization, soothing the souls of urban residents. Along the plank road, there are playgrounds, cabin camps, bonfire areas, and anti-fog devices. These and other similar spaces enrich the experience and the dimension of the project.

 Interventions

When the surroundings become gray, the visitors are officially inside the territory of the moon. The building occupies more than 1,000 square meters consisting of the moon, the cavity, and the grey space. Inspired by the mountain stream by the base of the building, the designer uses architecture as a medium to reproduce the romantic idea of a moon born on the sea.

The placement of the Hometown Moon was designated considering several factors: the altitude needs to remain moderate, and the building must not block the mountains behind it. It should not be blocked by the hill in front of it either. Proportion-wise, the diameter of the moon and the area of the water surface must match to ensure that the architectural piece and its reflection on the water form a full moon together. Furthermore, the cavity in the building needs to contain half of the moon with a diameter of 12 meters. The space also needs to allow the appropriate height required to host ceremonies.

The depth of the roof pond needs to consider the water evaporation rate. In this regard, a water reservoir 0.5 meters deep and a central interlayer device work together to reduce the hydration frequency. The ceremonial space needs to remain column-free, and the form and shape of the full moon need to limit the thickness of the beams. A ribbed and beamless concrete floor meets the load-bearing requirements of the structure at a reasonable price too.

Syn Architects takes advantage of the materials available in the area to adopt a limited intervention approach. The strategy consists of widening the base of the valley before erecting the building. Such a method also preserves the original spillway to help prevent natural disasters. The foundations are dug according to the calculated diameter of the moon and the space desired. Furthermore, the rocky and mossy walls of the mountain remain untouched as a natural limit to the project. In this way, the walls showcase the struggle between man and nature while further participating in the aesthetic concept.

The natural scenery is the starting point of the Hometown Moon. Indeed, nature is the catalyst that feeds the imagination of architects. They ensure that the solution is reasonable, achieving goals and fulfilling spatial and functional requirements by maximizing the integration with nature.

Project Information
Project Name: The Hometown Moon
Location: Daolang Town, Tai’an City, Shandong Province
Client: Taian Lushang Jiunvfeng Rural Revitalization Co., Ltd.

Project type: Architecture Design, Landscape Design, Interior Design

Design Period: 2019.10-2020.7

Construction Period: 2020.7 -2021.6
Site Area: 1866 sqm | Architecture Area: 1469 sqm | Interior Area: 856 sqm | FAR: 0.78 | Green Rate: 30% | Function: Chapel

Project Team：

Chief Architect：Zou Yingxi
Project Architect: Liu Yuan, Jin Nan

Interior Design Team: Xia Fuqiang, Qian Guoxing, Cao Zhenzhen, Liu Tingting, Li Qianxi

Interior Rendering Team: Feng Yan, Guo Mengjia, Li Hui

Landscape Design Team: Jin Nan, Xu Lu, Liu Shuang, Li Beibei, Liang Jingqi

Architecture Rendering Team: Zhu Feng, Chen Lan, Liang Xiaoting, Ruan Jianjun, Shi Lina, Tang Tang, Zheng Lihua, Liu Shuang (Sketch)

Contractor: Shandong Tai Shan Puhui Construction Ltd,.

Structural Engineer：Wang Qiang, Yang Jian, Yan Dongqiang

MEP Consultant：Huang Yuanzheng, Mei Yantao, Ji Pengcheng

Lighting Design：Create stars studio lighting design

Other consultants：Feng Yasong, Liao Shijie, Chen Lu, Xu Yan, Zheng Shuai

Main Contractor: Shandong Tai Shan Puhui Construction Ltd,.
Materials：

Slab, Glass, Wood Panels, Stainless Steel Panels / Photographer: Zheng Yan/ Video: Huasheng

“Since the completion of the building, it has started a dialogue with users and nature. I look forward to seeing it being modified over time, further blending with the environment as the trees grow.

Each architecture has two destinies: being destroyed or being protected. I look forward to creating an architecture that is reluctant to be destroyed. It will be the highest achievement of my career. For this reason, I will bestow deeper meaning to my architecture and create more emotional bonds for its users. I hope that the moon can become this kind of architecture. Even if it disappears in time, it will still exist in our spiritual world.”.

Zou Yingxi

Lead Architect

of SYN Architects

“Since the completion of the building, it has started a dialogue with users and nature. I look forward to seeing it being modified over time, further blending with the environment as the trees grow.

Each architecture has two destinies: being destroyed or being protected. I look forward to creating an architecture that is reluctant to be destroyed. It will be the highest achievement of my career. For this reason, I will bestow deeper meaning to my architecture and create more emotional bonds for its users. I hope that the moon can become this kind of architecture. Even if it disappears in time, it will still exist in our spiritual world.”.