Guangzhou Daily Group Culture Centre, Guangzhou, China · The Guangzhou Daily News museum surrounds...

This was an international architecture design competition which we were invited to take part in, in 2011.

The VisionThe vision is to create • abuildingwhichwillbea21st

century landmark for the Guangzhou DailyNewsandbelongsintheheartof the City

• buildingswhichprovideastimulatingworkingenvironment,areenjoyableto use and spatially exciting

• anefficientandflexibledevelopmentwhich is easy to understand and use

• ahighlysustainablebuildingwhosedesignrespondstoitsurbanenvironment and interacts with its landscape

The ConceptThe heart of the composition is the newspaperoffices,heldaloftbetweentheotherbuildings,likeapearlheldinanoystershell,visiblefromallangles.There are five distinct parts to the development,whichneedtobeableto operate autonomously as well as holistically (in association with each other). The design gives clear identities toeach,verylegibleinthecomposition,butdrawsthemalltogetheraroundanopencourt.Thenewspaperoffices,withthe museum and conference centre, have graceful curving geometry, which merges naturally with the landscape and has a dynamic relationship with the complementary rectilinear forms of the otherbuildings.These,inturn,respondto the surrounding townscape and road edges.

Newspaperofficesvisuallylinkedtomuseumtoconnectthe‘history’and‘present’ofthepublication

Conferencing facilities linked to museum so that exhibitionareascanbesharedforlargeexposetc

Groupofficeslinkedtocanteeninsharedfacilitiesathighlevelformaximumefficiencyincirculation

Newspaperofficeslinkedtogroupofficesforflexibilityoftenure

Serviced apartments adjacent to conferencing suites for convenience of visiting delegates

Guangzhou Daily Group Culture Centre, Guangzhou , China

Building OrganisationThebuildingorganisationissimple;Thenewspaper facilities are on the north side,fullyvisiblefromtheriverandtheCentral Business District, taking full advantage of this prime location. Thelettableofficesandservicedapartments for the Guangzhou Daily Group are on the south side of the site, together with the supporting facilities betweenthem.Byvirtueoftheirgreatersizetheywillstillbevisiblefromtheriver,butitwillbethenewspaperfacilitieswhich have greatest prominence and establishtheimageofthesite. Thenewspaperofficesextendbacktointersectwiththelettableofficesandthe supporting facilities. This gives the flexibilitytoexpandintolettableofficespace, or vice versa, and to link with the supporting facilities. The Guangzhou Daily News museum surrounds the entrance to the newspaperoffices,withitsexhibitionhalls alongside. Themuseumforotherexhibitionsisadjacent, with its own entrance, and it can connect to the newspaper museum, if desired. The conference centre has its own entrance,tocaterforthelargenumberofdelegates,andenablingittobeusedeitherbythenewspaperorletouttoother users. It can connect to either the newspaper museum or the external museum,ifexhibitionsareorganisedinconjunction with conferences.

Client Guangzhou Daily News Competition 2012Area 189,151 sqm

Guangzhou Daily News Cultural CentreGuangzhou, China

01. Building Organization02. Aerial view from northeast03. Cross section04. River side view from Lie De Bridge05. Street view06. Daily News entrance