kuan architects [UCD] designs fish-shaped shopping mall in china

kuan architects [UCD] designs fish-shaped shopping mall in china
all visuals courtesy of kuan architects [UCD]

qinshui is a small, but quickly developing city in the south of china’s shanxi province. the location is enclosed by mountains and streams, giving the entire town an ethereal air that seems to gradually emerge from the landscape. ‘antique fish’, is the first large-scale construction in the area, and is hoped by the government to become the image of qinshui; as well as the center of activities. the plot is situated directly in the center, in a corner defined by two main rivers.

view from south-west 

the land is 250 meters in length moving from east-to-west, but only around 30 meters in depth — due to existing vehicle circulation on four sides. kuan architects [UCD], who led the design, were influenced by the plot’s odd shape. their scheme imagines the lengthy allotment as an a street dedicated solely to shopping; and in an effort to echo the environment and the area’s plentiful chinese traditional art, looks like a giant ‘antique fish’.

aerial 

the architecture follows a stepped path that rises from east to west. kuan chose the direction for two reasons. one, to give visitors the opportunity to view the city’s exhibition center that is located near the northwest side of the site; and secondly, to attract people from the water park that’s located adjacent to the east.

river, building, and ancient tree square 

‘antique fish’ is subdivided into two major parts: a transparent upper level gallery, and a lower solid shopping block. while there are retail spaces located above the so-called ‘spine’, it is largely dedicated to offer plentiful sights to the surrounding area, and dead-ends into a café/restaurant. underneath, the building is separated into individual shops. each is a simple cube shape, organized organically.

main entrance, northwest corner 

the main entrance is located in the northwestern corner, beneath the café. it ties in aesthetics from traditional chinese wunderkammer design, and is meant to be the driving detail of ‘antique fish’. beyond the western tip, is the town’s public green space. traditional paving and landscaping move around a giant, ancient tree. no steps have been taken to change the area, and it is simply left to serve as a place for people to come together, drink tea, and get away from the busy shopping scene.

bird’s eye view from the southwest

shanxi is home to some of china’s most ancient architecture. as a landmark, ‘antique fish’ responds to the tradition in terms of form, material, and spatial experience. blue stone, green tile, white jade and woodwork brings together historical imagery with the city’s contemporary, emergent commercial vitality. the building is under construction, and scheduled for completion by autumn 2016. 

distant view of ‘antique fish’ 

aerial view of surroundings 

steps rising from east to west 

south elevation and xing river

floor plans and section 

site plan; first floor plan; longitudinal section; diagram showing spine and body 

cultural items used to develop concept 

project info:

architects: kuan architects [UCD]
location: qinshui, shanxi, china
team: kuan wang, dongchun wang, lan hai, ding ma, meng wang, ming liu, xiaohe yu, jiahui li, xiaobin yin
area: 20,500m²
status: under construction
scheduled completion date: 2016

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edited by: nick brink | designboom