Crcc development building | Disappearing Facade | Architecture | AND lab | APAC Glocal Commercial Design Consultants Group

Crcc development building | Disappearing Facade

Facade Addition & Alteration | Office Building Facade Design

Crcc development building |

Disappearing Facade

2020 China Beijing

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This is a building that has been transformed from a shopping mall to an office building. The owner requires a renovation of the facade and a landscape design for the front plaza.

The building's exterior should reflect the solid profile of the building, rather than a separate design treatment. Therefore, our idea is to create a disappearing facade. Even in the so-called "solid" part, we have made a void treatment at eye level, ensuring daylight and outside views.

From the perspective of sustainability, we believe that the exterior facade of the building should reflect the authentic cross-section of the building, rather than undergoing additional design treatments.

Here we are contemplating how to meet the requirements of the project (to design the facade) while also aligning with our position as architects (not to design the facade).

So, we came up with a design that falls between 'doing' and 'not doing'.

A disappearing facade.

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By adjusting the angle of the grilles when they open, we create a transitional, gradient effect on the facade.

It fades away, turning into the effect of the facade we don't want.

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Then we parameterize this effect to link the grids of each layer together.

Now, the building is stationary, and so is the facade.

However, the perspective of pedestrians and vehicles in motion changes along the path, due to the varying angles of each grid, which are all different. Consequently, the facade appears to be changing relative to them.

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Even in the so-called 'real' parts, from a human perspective, we've incorporated elements of 'illusion' to ensure natural lighting and views outside the windows.

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For the entrance gate, we have also broken away from the traditional 'protruding' architectural form of the gate, instead opting for a 'recessed' design. This maintains a clean and smooth facade while providing a pleasing view both upon entry and exit.

Of course, we have also incorporated our usual consideration for wheelchair ramps.