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“A Stone Quarry” Sculpted by Time
By : Topway Space Design
GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN – 16th edition
Discipline : Interior Design
Categories : Commercial Space / Commercial Space > 5,400 sq.ft. (> 500 sq.m.) : Gold Certification
This project is located in Foshan, China, and was commissioned by a ceramic tile manufacturer with over 30 years of history. The sales headquarters for their products is a three-story old building that holds the sales showrooms and offices of three ceramic brands. Through space transformation and design, the project aims to give the brand a unique commercial IP and differentiation in visual identity, thereby enhancing its commercial value.
The design concept for this project was inspired by an abandoned stone quarry. The quarry embodies human intelligence and the craftsmanship of artisans. Over time, the variously shaped stone caves have been sculpted by the passage of time and are now a unique landscape, resembling a man-made architectural marvel in the natural world.
The designers created a 16-meter-deep sinkhole in the central atrium and excavated various stone blocks of different shapes and sizes around it to create a quarry. These blocks are stacked and interlocked, creating a sense of power and geometric beauty. The blocks protrude and recede in various shapes, each with a unique texture and feel. The space was designed with the idea of sharing, coexisting, and symbiosis. The space is meant for sharing functions, coexisting with nature, and being symbiotic with products and nature, while also considering the future sustainable development of building materials.
The entire “Stone Quarry” wall was installed with aluminum alloy structured rock panels, each piece of which was cut, polished, and spliced with precision. This extreme craftsmanship creates an immersive spatial experience and conveys the brand’s cultural connotation of pursuing nature. The use of tiles and rock panels to create the “Stone Quarry” also shows humanity’s reflection on the destruction of nature.
The skylight above the atrium is designed as a light-catching opening to bring natural light into most corners of the interior. The air circulation is used to control the indoor temperature, thereby maximizing energy efficiency. The walls in the central public space are made of steel-structured rock panels and tiles, while the ceiling is made of steel-structured mesh and translucent membrane materials. Other space decoration materials are made of artificial composite materials produced locally in Foshan. The majority of the structures and decoration materials can be disassembled and recycled, fully embodying the space’s environmental and material sustainability.
Collaboration
