urbanus: nanshan marriage registration center

‘nanshan marriage registration center’ by urbanus in shenzhen, china all images courtesy urbanus images by mengyan, wu qiwei

chinese architecture practice urbanus has sent us images of ‘nanshan marriage registration center’, a multi-storey facility in the northeastern corner of lijing park in nanshan district, shenzhen, china. seeking to provide a new identity for government buildings and institutes within the realm of built architecture, the design incorporates a reflecting pool and pavilion in the approach to secure a sense of public space to the registration facility.

overall view

surrounded by a dense collection of tall deciduous trees, the cylindrical building comfortably inserts itself into the park in a way that respects and maintains the lushness of the site. the reflecting pool to the south creates a calm and fragile surface to the grounds, serving as an inviting meeting point for the public. a series of ramps and floating pathways dissect the water, allowing visitors to move through and experience the pool. a simple pavilion structure oriented towards the center frame the approach like a small gateway.

approach

outfitted with a shimmering floral mesh aluminum skin, the center exhibits a level of transparency from the exterior. the interior gains from natural daylighting through floor-to-ceiling glass and is further maximized by the curved nature of the walls. focusing on the movement and circulation of the building, the layout revolves around a spiral pathway that connects facets of the registry in a sequential manner. areas give way to smaller rooms and private space in a fluid gesture, forming curvilinear partitions that organically define the layout.

floating pathway across pool

entrance

view of reflecting pool

towards pavilion

pavilion as a meeting point

view of center from pavilion

ramp

view of ramp from above

interior view

filtered sunlight

glazed wall and aluminum mesh skin

waiting area in use

marriage certificate room

(left) spiral staircase (right) ceiling

small room

circulation space

night view

physical model

interior

circulation diagram (1) pavilion (2) pathway (3) reception (4) stairs (5) waiting area (6) marriage certificate room (7) ramp

site map

site plan

floor plan / level 0

floor plan / level +1

floor plan / level +2

section

section

project info:

client: construction bureau of nanshan district site area: 3002.5 m2 floor area: 977.5 m2 structure: steel

design director: meng yan project director: zhu jialin, wu wenyi, zhang zhen, fu zhuoheng, wei zhijiao architecture designers: wang jun, yin yujun, hu zhigao, li qiang, zhang xinfeng landscape designers: liao zhixiong, lin ting, yu xiaolan, liu jie

interior design: guoqun studio curtain wall design: henzhen keyuan construction group co., ltd structure / MEP: guangzhou RBS architecture engineer design associates general contractor: shenzhen decoration and construction industrial co., ltd, guangdong 8th construction group co., ltd