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Design: 'Lightness' : a new 150,000m² Exhibition Centre for the Chinese City of Shenyang entered for the Concept Design Competition 2008

Moving Architecture & Greenwich University were invited to submit an entry to the concept design competition for a new 150,000m2 exhibition centre in the Chinese city of Shenyang. Ed Frith led a team from Moving Architecture, Greenwich University and Atkins. The I-Ching the 4-5,000 year old Chinese system of order and change was a geometrical and philosophical inspiration for the project.

The design developed from three particular elements: order (the plan), lightness (the section) and movement (crossing plan and section into models). The natural ‘touching the ground lightly’ was an important part of the environmental, spatial, structural and philosophical approach. Calvino’s ‘Six Memos for the next Millennium’ refers to ‘lightness’; in English this word signifies both weight and illumination, in Mandarin the Chinese characters for earth, sky and line were used.

The research investigated the architectural body as object; the body and exhibits’ movement in space. A dancer worked with the parts of the walnut model to bring out the plan, section and three dimensional complexity of the project. Two major physical models were constructed by Greenwich University students: one model was at 1:500, in cardboard, taking the 64 I-Ching diagram into a 16 piece grid this was then further developed into a walnut veneered and acrylic panel system on a light box; the other model was a 1:200 detailed section across the exhibition hall and main facilities revealing the structure, weight and spatial openness of the building. The models were the design vehicle around which the project developed.

The project was presented in Shenyang in October and was awarded a RMB 200,000 (£20,000) prize. (Other prize winners were Coop Himmelb(l)au, Next Architects, Kauffmann Theilig & Partner and Zeidler.) The project was disseminated by a lecture at Shenyang Jianzhu University and exhibition with Atkins at Greenwich University with catalogue. (see http://www.movingarchitecture.com/ShenYang/index.php

Portfolio

Paper:

(i) Pamphlet (date of dissemination)

(ii) Book