Project:ย Brilliant Prospect
Architects:ย Guangzhou GBD Design
Location:ย Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, China
Photographs by:ย BenMo Studio
Brilliant Prospect by GBD
People bring warmth to a particular space, while the space provides people with shelter and memories. Essentially, architecture supplies people with a โfoothold of existenceโ.
The Existence of a City Depends on Memory
By naming the project in Chinese after the โNanjing Brocadeโ โa traditional article famous for itsย cloud-like colors and intricate patterns, China Overseas Land & Investment pays homage to the heritage of a city, the place where the best fabrics in the country are produced: the โFifth Cotton Millโ.
The mill has been a part of Chinese culture for generations, it is the prime example of how space can become a symbolic memory. Such is the connection between the mill, the city and society,ย a dialogue between architecture, space and people.
The space feels as if the designer had arrangedย a carrier inside a glass boxย to generate fluid formsย and dynamic sculpturesย resembling the sinuous shapes of the Nanjing brocade or extensive sand dunes that transform time into organic musical patterns.
In Art, Past and Present Overlap while the Old and the New Establish a Unique Dialogue
Theย designer takes elements from nature and memory and twists them into threads that weave an architectural brocade, using flexible curvesย to provide artistic tensionย to the surrounding environment, combining memories with physical space.
Memories materialize before our eyes as if weaved withย fine silk threads. Countless flying yarns condense day and night into a winged sculpture, a threader movingย swiftly between giant ribbons in space.
A fifty-two-meter-long and nine-meter-wide sculpture rises toward the sky and extends through the whole interior space of the property. Inspiration for the piece comes from Chinese brocade, revolving and dancing around, both intertwined and scattered at the same time, outlining the shape of anย infinite loop, aiming toward the future.
ย ย โWe highlight the cultural features of the cotton industry in China, using space as the carrier that connects the past with the future, through a dynamic momentum that outlines the beauty of life in bloom with unique elements from the past and formidable sights of the futureโ.ย โ said the designer.
โTimeโ is the Essence behind Brilliant Prospect
The designer adopted a unique artistic language to define Brilliant Prospect โthe projectโs name in English. Such creative approach defines a distinctive landmark, composed of artistic and cultural elements.
And thus,ย sinuous curvesย grow around the space, weaving segments of time into particular groups, orchestrating multiple ideas into one. Like an epic opera, its magnificent forms fascinate people with a distinctive charm.
Unlock your Imagination, Open your Mind to a Brilliant Prospect
Complementing the main sculpture, an artistic staircase becomes the symbolic entrance to a time tunnel that distributes imaginative elements above and below ground. At the center of two sculptural curved stairs lies an installation called the โTime Shuttleโ.
The designer sets the main functional zone of the property in a sunken courtyard where mirrored areas vast as the skies and lakes provide a deep depth of field, separating everything inside the property from the complexities of the external world. The salon area opposite to the book bar interprets the convergence of time with geometric shapes.
The whole space is bestowed with church-like sacredness and tranquility. It cultivates a life of elegance with poetry, wine, flowers and tea; gathering the essence of life through elements such as rhythm, softness and comfortable surroundings to enjoy the company of old and new friends.
The clubhouse is an extension of the household,ย a unique kind of companionship that further refines and integrates social circles. Onceย again, the โspindleโ becomes the main artistic symbol of the space. This time, the shape hangs down from the ceiling, concentrating the light coming from a surrounding โocean of knowledgeโ.
Thus, the designer transforms space into a petri dish of curiosity and creativity, awaking memories and shaping them. The space feels like a โdance frozen in timeโ about to begin again, prompting a breathtaking melody that transforms objects into lively and meaningful beings.
The designer hopes to create anย artistic โchoreographyโย between real and imaginary times, providing guests with endless possibilities from the future, in a banquet, meeting or party in modern times.
-Project description and images provided by GBD Design