Located in the ‘Eastern Suburb Memory’ in Chengdu, Vanke-City Growth Hall by More Design Office (MDO) is situated within an original building that contained the Hongguang Electronic Tube factory, a state-run factory dating back to 1958 that produced oscilloscopes and kinescopes for the military.
The renovation strikes to create a clear language between old and new, leaving traces of the former history while inserting new contrasting elements. The stair is lined with a custom ceramic tile depicting clusters of hibiscus mutabilis found locally in Chengdu.
The ground floor is intended to operate as a flexible event space with a pop-up store. Grey tones of the existing structure are balanced with new elements including a giant digital screen, vertical column batten lighting and a suspended lighting array inspired by the waves of the oscilloscope. A long digital screen acts as a 3Dwall, changing in appearance and creating a fluid and dynamic space with colours that shift to change the mood and tone of the environment.
Blurring the boundary between inside and out, the ground floor includes a café as a public element. The café is formed as a layered bamboo box inserted into a grey concrete structure. Along the perimeter edge, a deep bamboo seat bridges from inside to outside, providing a space for passersby to stop and enjoy a coffee. A large picture window with a sliding glass screen maintains strong visual connections between the city and the interior of the coffee shop. The screen can be opened on warm days. A neighbouring DJ Station allows for the transformation into a party space at night.
The second floor of the old factory is dedicated to Vanke’s signing and negotiation functions. The entire space is conceived as an oscilloscope with golden lines forming fluid volumes and waves. The gold colour contrasts against the existing concrete frame. The ceiling of the bar includes an installation made of black and white light cathode-ray television.
On the third floor, the Chengdu Learning centre expresses the power of youth and the future with the implementation of bold materials and lighting that radiates out from the central staircase.
