Articles by Collin Chen

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Xing Kiln Museum / YCA

July 15, 2019 Collin Chen 0

The Xing Kiln Ruins is one of the top ten archaeological discoveries in China in 2012. At the excavation site, the archaeological team discovered 11 kiln remnants of the dynasty from the Northern Dynasties to the Tang Dynasty. More than 200,000 pieces of porcelain and kiln furniture shards, as well as more than 2,000 pieces of complete or recoverable objects including brick, tile, pottery, tri-color, porcelain and kiln furniture, were unearthed. The kiln found not only had a very long history but also was well preserved, and had a very rare layout pattern. After the archaeological excavation was completed, the Xing Kiln Ruins Museum was built above the site and opened to the public.

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Hunan University Tianma New Campus Complex / WCY Regional Studio

July 15, 2019 Collin Chen 0

The project Tianma new Campus of Hunan University is located in the Yuelu Mountain University Research Park with a site area of 18.96h㎡. The building sits in between Tianma Mountain and Yuelu Mountain on its east and west, borders the old campus to the north and Tianma student apartment to the south, where the wild nature and social activities co-exists. The new campus masterplan, a complementary extension to the old campus, was launched in 2003 and completed in 2016 after twist and turns.

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Mega Center / BE Design

July 14, 2019 Collin Chen 0

Xuzhou MEGA CENTER is in a new urban area close to the city highway where the surrounding environment is quite empty. After acquiring a large area of ​​land, the client hoped to build a promotion center with rich experiential functions. Different from a traditional operation, we recommend putting a ‘cultural anchor’ here. We believe that a good architecture cannot be established without constant events happening and people gathering. Based on this programming logic, we introduced a multifunctional theater called ‘MEGA HOUSE’ as a generator of events into the building.

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Renovation of Jing’an Business Building / ArchUnits

July 12, 2019 Collin Chen 0

Shanghai-based young architectural office ArchUnits has recently completed the exterior and interior renovation of an office building near Shanghai Jing’an Temple. The original building, built in the 1990 and packed with crowded small office rooms, has been transformed into a new type of office community of openness, communication and sharing – MORE Huashan.

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Song House / AZL Architects

July 11, 2019 Collin Chen 0

The past 40 years of rapid urbanization in China witnessed the hollowing-out evolution in the disappearance of millions of natural villages. As ecological protector, cultural heritage, and a highly livable environment, rural settlements have been underestimated and neglected in its resourcefulness and values. The natural humanistic values of rural settlements need to be reactivated through new production cycle and lifestyle. Shanghai, having the highest GDP in China and being a world-famous metropolis, is also facing difficulties and conflicts between its urban and suburban composition. Those living in the city are constantly under the pressure of high living costs, when the declining of rural communities and human settlements in suburbs is happening at the same time.

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Social House by Xintiandi / Kokaistudios

July 10, 2019 Collin Chen 0

Hybrid and holistic, Social House by Xintiandi is a multifunctional space comprising retail, F&B, and lifestyle elements. Positioned across two floors of the recently renovated Xintiandi Plaza in Shanghai’s central business district, the venue has been designed for openness and exchange, bringing the vitality of outside, in. Elegant and feminine in aesthetic, it takes visitors on a layered journey that caters to mind, body, and soul. From the group behind Xintiandi, a pioneering urban renewal project and car-free commercial district in central Shanghai, Social House immerses visitors into a narrative crafted through circulation and flow, punctuated by focal points of activity. Together, these elements create a unique, constantly evolving destination that is fast becoming a cultural and lifestyle hotspot in China’s most dynamic metropolis.

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Nanjing Mingdao Middle School / XSJZ

July 10, 2019 Collin Chen 0

We want to design a great campus. Our design explores a sense of order and a sense of ritual generated by order. They come from the source of Chinese culture——the nine-grid pattern evolved from “Hetu” and “Luoshu”. The order and ritual sense generated by the planning of ancient Chinese capital city all originate from the nine-grid. Order and ritual, it is also the most important design concept in ancient Western urban planning.

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Sense Café Beijing / RSAA/Büro Ziyu Zhuang

July 9, 2019 Collin Chen 0

Cooperated with Nestlé China, RSAA/ Büro Ziyu Zhuang has designed Sense Café Beijing, whose brand design is done by Ogilvy Beijing. The project is open in No.27 Neiwubu Street from 27th April to 5th May, which is designed to present a brand-new interpretation of the coffee experience and traditional Chinese courtyard.

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Tianyun Affordable Office / Praxis d‘ Architecture

July 5, 2019 Collin Chen 0

This industrial real estate development targets at private small and mid-sized research and technological enterprises to provide them with affordable office spaces at the fringe of big cities. These private enterprises, albeit non-main economic actors comparing to state-owned enterprises, are playing an essential role in building a real economy, as Chinese society has come to realize after 30 years of a booming real estate backed economy. The design applies the concept of modules to achieve budget control while offering green, flexible, and interactive office spaces that nurture creativity.