Saraiva + Associados was recently invited to participate in the International Conceptual Design Competition of Baidu International Building. This project requires the design of a complex that gathers Offices, Services and Commercial areas.
Succinctly, Baidu, founded in 2000 by internet pioneer Robin Li, seeks to provide the best way for people to find what they are searching for on the internet. Its literal meaning in Chinese is “hundreds of times”, which represents persistency in every level.
As a response, the design of this complex reunites two towers and features the existent dynamism in the world of technology. Falling stars give rise to a distinct exterior appearance, where is established a constant dialogue between the interior and exterior, the building and the encircling community.
Sober and fine lines form a thrilling façade with extensive sheets of glass which are disrupted and broken-up according to the partial subtraction of the initial volume. The final image from this conceptual approach is an expansive translucent façade that wraps around a persistent and consistent vertical core.
This nucleus hosts office and commercial areas, offering diverse spatial experiences to both users and passers-by. The complex materializes the idea of an appealing urban lantern, a state-of-the-art architectural process complying with a sustainable development framework.
