ForD International is a comprehensive home service company that integrates overall design and imported soft furnishing. For the recent renovation of their 17,000 square meter warehouse and showroom in Xiaoshan District, China, the owners engaged SAY Architects to develop a concept to refresh the appearance of the building infrastructure and better reflect the brand image.
In response, SAY focused on constructing a new façade system using a planar language to create a “wrapper” for the expansive exterior facades. Bold and colorful, the clear and simple graphics applied to the exterior reflect the efficiency and speed of the company’s design process. For the feature south façade, a vibrant yellow fades across an irregular grid system. More than 16 colors in total are integrated across the southern facade.
After studying the aesthetic and material durability of various exterior façade materials, the architects selected aluminium-magnesium-manganese metal panels. In addition to their durability and color integrity, the panels functionally block direct incoming sunlight, thus protecting furniture in the showroom.
The ground of the factory area also employs yellow to guide the vehicle flow lines for goods, transportation, and functional zoning. The pattern of the parking area is thus integrated with the pixelated concept of the building façade.
Complementing the striking building facades, vibrant greenery extends around the building and frames exterior seating areas for customers and visitors to the building’s showroom.
