Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects has taken the idea of a structure being built “on the lake” quite literally with its recently revealed plans for a granite clubhouse and spa complex located directly on top of a lake. The 34,014-sf space will be built at the center of a lake in the southern China district of GaoYao and will eventually become an art gallery, spa, and lounge, serving residents of nearby exclusive villas, according to Dezeen.
The goal is not to make the structure look as if it is sitting on top of the lake but, instead, to make it an integrated part of the lake.
The complex will consist of three concave blocks with each block being connected to another via one of its corners. From above, the overall design looks like a giant lobster with two meaty claws, which is fitting, considering its aquatic locale. Specifically, the building will be located on the edge of a weir that controls the lake level. The only connection between the complex and the mainland will be a narrow pedestrian bridge.
The building will use its location in the center of a lake and its framed panoramic views in an effort to quickly connect visitors to the surrounding landscape. To make the most of these panoramic views, a Feng Shui expert was brought in to determine the building’s orientation within the build site and the direction of its entrances.
Due to the beauty the surrounding mountainous landscape offers, an open, column-free layout will be used in tandem with floor-to-ceiling glazing.
The building’s three parts will feature different amenities and facilities, but will be visually linked by light oak floors and gray granite walls that will be carried throughout the complex.
The complex is expected to be completed in early 2017 and is currently under construction.
Rendering: Luxigon
Related Stories
| Aug 11, 2010
Arup, SOM top BD+C's ranking of the country's largest mixed-use design firms
A ranking of the Top 75 Mixed-Use Design Firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
10% of world's skyscraper construction on hold
Emporis, the largest provider of global building data worldwide, reported that 8.7% of all skyscrapers listed as "under construction" in its database had been put on hold. Most of these projects have been halted in the second half of 2008. According to Emporis statistics, the United States had been hit the worst: at the beginning of 2008, "Met 3" in Miami was the only U.S. skyscraper listed as being "on hold". In the second half of the year, 19 projects followed suit.
| Aug 11, 2010
Structure Tone, Turner among the nation's busiest reconstruction contractors, according to BD+C's Giants 300 report
A ranking of the Top 75 Reconstruction Contractors based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
Best AEC Firms of 2011/12
Later this year, we will launch Best AEC Firms 2012. We’re looking for firms that create truly positive workplaces for their AEC professionals and support staff. Keep an eye on this page for entry information. +
| Aug 11, 2010
Call for entries: Building enclosure design awards
The Boston Society of Architects and the Boston chapter of the Building Enclosure Council (BEC-Boston) have announced a High Performance Building award that will assess building enclosure innovation through the demonstrated design, construction, and operation of the building enclosure.
| Aug 11, 2010
Portland Cement Association offers blast resistant design guide for reinforced concrete structures
Developed for designers and engineers, "Blast Resistant Design Guide for Reinforced Concrete Structures" provides a practical treatment of the design of cast-in-place reinforced concrete structures to resist the effects of blast loads. It explains the principles of blast-resistant design, and how to determine the kind and degree of resistance a structure needs as well as how to specify the required materials and details.
| Aug 11, 2010
AIA selects three projects for National Healthcare Design Awards
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Academy of Architecture for Health (AAH) have selected the recipients of the AIA National Healthcare Design Awards program. The AIA Healthcare Awards program showcases the best of healthcare building design and healthcare design-oriented research. Projects exhibit conceptual strengths that solve aesthetic, civic, urban, and social concerns as well as the requisite functional and sustainability concerns of a hospital.
