01 Urban-regional Relations
The Lvfeng Center is located in Hangzhou Zijingang Science and Technology City, an area undergoing significant industrial transformation. Originally an industrial park, the region now requires an updated urban image and new spatial arrangements. The project site is on the south side of the central green belt, where urban design regulations have constrained the buildable area. The base is divided into two parts by a public passage, and high-rise buildings must maintain a 26-meter setback from the green axis. Together with a required 4.0 plot ratio, these constraints dictated the building's form: two square towers with tiered green spaces.
When designing, construction had already begun on a north-facing building with a conventional form and rounded corners. Our challenge was to create a design that complemented this neighboring structure while adhering to the planning requirements and maintaining a distinct identity.
The owner's spatial conception of including a street within the project introduced a significant design challenge. Ensuring the area of the tower while maintaining functionality meant that a conventional multi-story and high-rise building could not accommodate a street of appropriate scale and atmosphere. To address this, the design introduced the first diagonal line—a cut inside the bottom of the main building. This diagonal established the basic scale and character of the inner street, transforming deep, poorly lit indoor spaces into an outdoor street shaded from the sun and rain.
A second diagonal cut shaped the ends of the multi-story building, creating a dynamic interface with the central green axis, distinct from the neighboring structure. To harmonize the design with the north-facing building, rounded corners were used at key points, ensuring a cohesive relationship between the structures while allowing the Lvfeng Center to maintain its unique character.
02 Characteristics of Industrial Upgrading
Hangzhou Zijingang Science and Technology City, originally a closed industrial park, is transitioning into an integrated urban-industrial environment. This shift is reflected in the design of the Lvfeng Center, which balances industrial and urban functions.
The building's design reflects this transformation through three distinct spatial zones. The ground floor is an open, lively area designed to foster interactions and innovation, essential for the industrial workforce. The middle floors consist of flexible and efficient production and office spaces, designed to accommodate evolving industrial needs. The top floors, where management offices are located, offer comfortable, relaxing spaces with expansive views.
A third diagonal line was introduced at the top of the main building, creating terraces on three levels, all facing the central green. These terraces, along with the building's rounded corners, foster a sense of dialogue between the two main structures and contribute to a cohesive overall design.
03 Creation of Spatial Feeling
The Lvfeng Center's design emphasizes the creation of a distinctive spatial experience at the ground level. The first diagonal cut shapes the inner street, a trapezoidal space that narrows as it rises, while the second diagonal cut creates a sense of openness and light at the street's entrance. These diagonal lines are subtly integrated into the façade, where they define the building's retreating layers and structure, lending the building a gentle and approachable character.
Further inside, the linking corridor on the second floor and the glass gallery on the third floor divide the 130-meter-long inner street into three sections, creating a rhythmic sequence of spaces. The central section of the inner street intersects with the north-south public space, serving as the core of the project. Here, pedestrians can pass through the building to the green axis or enjoy outdoor activities in the adjacent open spaces.
To the south, a large grey space with a 24-meter span serves as the project's signature area. A fourth diagonal line is hidden within this space, where the roof's 8-level retreat creates a slope from south to north, defining the trapezoidal grey space. Natural light filters through perforated panels, casting a soft, tree-like pattern across the space.
In its envisioned use, the Lvfeng Center's grey space could host events, with sunlight streaming through the perforated panels, creating a dynamic interplay of light and shadow. In this way, the building comes alive, filled with energy and movement, embodying the spirit of the Lvfeng Center’s design.
04 Conclusion
After the building is put into use, we expect an image like this: some event takes place in this large gray space, and it just so happens that a few people are dancing. Even at midday, the sunlight pours down through the diamond-shaped cavities of the perforated metal panels, softened as if through leaves, and it seems that people are moving among the trees. In a scene with people, the building is full of life.
