UNStudio,Hanjie Wanda Square

UNStudio have recently completed the facade and interior design of Hanjie Wanda Square in Wuhan, China.

Description

Hanjie Wanda Square is a luxury shopping plaza which houses international brand stores, world-class boutiques, catering outlets and cinemas. Unstudio’s approach to the design of the Hanjie Wanda Square combines both contemporary and traditional design elements in one concept.
The concept of synergy of flows is key to all of the design components; the fluid articulation of the building envelope, the programming of the dynamic façade lighting and its content design and the interior pattern language which guides customers from the central atria to the upper levels and throughout the building via linking corridors. The interior concept is developed around the North and South atria, creating two different, yet integrated atmospheres. Variations in geometry, materials and details define these differing characters. The North atrium is characterized by warm golden and bronze materials reflecting a cultural, traditional identity. In the South atrium silver and grey nuances with reflective textures reflect the city identity and its urban rhythm. Both atria are crowned by skylights with a funnel structure which connect the roof and the ground floor, in addition to integrating the panorama lifts.
The façade design focuses on achieving a dynamic effect reflecting the handcrafted combination of two materials: polished stainless steel and patterned glass. These two materials are crafted into nine differently shaped, but standardized spheres. Their specific positions in relation to each other recreate the effect of movement and reflection in water, or the sensuous folds of silk fabric.

Design: UNStudio
Photography: Edmon Leong
by contemporist

Best of interior and architecture

Organic Cities \ Luca Curci architects

courtesy Luca Curci architects

Luca Curci architects studio has designed a landmark for the United Arab Emirates skyline with an innovative project based on the concept of “Organic Cities”. The organic buildings become part of the new megalopolis, merging and mixing residential elements with business divisions, shopping life with wellness areas, cultural places with social life. The aim is to create a common place where people can live, meet, learn, work, socialize and create new mixing cultures.

courtesy Luca Curci architects

courtesy Luca Curci architects

The project is organized in 2 groups: organic buildings on the earth, and “moons” on the sea. All of them are connected and linked each other with roads, parks, and running streets. The aggregations on the ground are futuristic and have organic shapes. The “moons” on the sea are divided into 3 kinds: the smaller are private residences with a private approach from the sea and from the air. The middle “moons” are hotels that can be reached by the sea, the road and the air. The biggest “moons” are residences, hotels and private apartments.

courtesy Luca Curci architects

The aggregations of buildings near the sea have shapes conceived to live on desert ground, because they can be realized on it. The idea starts from the nature structures that are able to live near the sea, with sun and wind and any kind of natural element. They exist to be the future and evolution of contemporary metropolis. This kind of structures will develop again the connections between humans, during everyday life, with thousand of common places that will aggregate crowds, to win the alienation of XX and XXI century cities.

courtesy Luca Curci architects

The masterplan has been created to be adaptive and to evolve. It will depend on the different places where to build it. The first 5 buildings and 5 moons are completely full of any kind of services available to be built in our contemporary cities, with a great attention to social life, human connections, common places where to meet, real social life.

courtesy Luca Curci architects

The total floor area will host more than 150.000 habitants, with 50% of the lot area dedicated to green and connections, open areas, common grounds, places. More than 800.000 square meters dedicated to hotels, spa, wellness areas, 6.300.000 square meters to shopping malls, galleries, museums, 4.500.000 square meters to offices and other social services.

courtesy Luca Curci architects

Covering a total constructed area of 600.000 square meters, the program will host residencies, offices and collective and commercial spaces. The tallest building will reach 470 meters while the second and third of the first group on the ground will successively descend in height. The tallest “moon” on the sea will reach 190 meters while the second 115 meters and the third 90 meters.

+ About

LUCA CURCI ARCHITECTS deals with architecture design, structural calculation, bioclimatic planning and green building, consolidations and restructuring, architecture and monumental restoration, urban design, leisure/sport spaces planning, furniture design and interior design and industrial design.
The quality of our life is strongly influenced by the architecture quality in which we live and that surrounds us. Our design is mainly based on the relationship between man and environment, and it’s represented by an architecture in which individual well-being and environmental sustainability are closely related.

+ Project credits

Design architect
Arch. Luca Curci
Collaborators
Arch. Andrea Colangiuli
Arch. Nicola Boccadoro

Designer Wafa Chawachi
Best of interior and architecture

Melogranoblu Presents Temporary Museum

Melogranoblu Presents Temporary Museum for New Design at Downtown Design

courtesy Melogranoblu

courtesy Melogranoblu

courtesy Melogranoblu

During the first edition of Downtown Design in Dubai, Melogranoblu presents a lighting installation like a huge shell with two different movements: the first one – in white, teal and purple – is fast and dynamic; the second in white, red, blue, with different intensities of white not to make perceptible changes. There are also three different ‘placed lights’, that immortalize like a snapshot, in white, amber, purple.
Melogranoblu is in Temporary Museum for New Design exhibition, the cornerstone event of Milan’s Design Week, which has chosen Dubai as a location to exhibit for the first time outside Milan.
Temporary Museum for New Design explores the new confines of global design, paying great attention to research and quality, to new talents, to technological progress and crossovers with art. In its galleries international brands, great architects and young designers present their new creations with exciting and interactive installations that always have a powerful impact, as in a contemporary museum. In a black and white installation with touches of colour, the Selected Objects are chosen among those taking part in the latest editions of the Temporary Museum in Milan.
WHERE
Temporary Museum for New Design at Downtown Design Dubai
Muhammad bin Rashid Blvd., (former Emaar Blvd)

Best of interior and architecture