CLOISTER
A masterplan HQ in Qingdao, China that creates oases of landscaped courtyards between monumental buildings
FOR QINGDAO IRON AND STEEL COMPANY
Our 400,000 sqft administrative masterplan created an oasis of landscaped courtyards and monumental buildings to respond to the local environment of hot summers and cool winters, creating places for the thousands of workers to relax outside in sun or shade.
The administration, research, logistics, sales and sports buildings are connected by a cloister, and at ground level this architectonic device creates a protected route between buildings for site’s staff and visitors.
SOLID & VOID
A collection of significant brick buildings are laid out to create a series of varying courtyards between them, offering moments of respite and calm contemplation to employees of the Qingdao Iron and Steel Company.
The buildings and courtyards have a solid-and-void relationship, where the spaces between buildings are as important as the buildings themselves, with the connecting element, the Cloister, expressing the social as well as environmental values.
STRONG MATERIALS
Brick and glass with a dark coating are used across the building's exteriors as they are able to withstand the dust and pollutants produced by the adjacent plant.
The facade is composed of sturdy pre-fabricated brick cladding elements to ensure an efficient build time.
AN OASIS
The layout of the buildings and courtyards is a direct response to the region's climate, which ranges from hot and humid in the summer months to very cold during winter. This informed the integration of north- and south-facing courtyards where workers can enjoy sunlight and shade at different times of year.
THE VISUAL LINK
An elevated walkway wrapped in glass and metal louvres extends along the full length of the third floor. It has a slightly tapered section that recalls the shape of an ingot, the form the metal at the steelworks takes at the earliest stage of its processing. The walkway provides internal circulation for office employees, and a sheltered path for industrial workers.
Power is produced at a local electricity generating plant, operated using waste heat from the steelworks. The glowing glazed path symbolises the transmission of this recovered energy and creates a clear visual link between the structures as well as concealing the services.
LOCATION
Qingdao, China
SIZE
400,000 sqft
STATUS
Completed in 2014
CLIENT
Qingdao Iron and Steel Company