TCA think tank envisions aggregative tower for ABC art bund center in shanghai

TCA think tank envisions aggregative tower for ABC art bund center in shanghai
(above) the façade shows the aggregative nature of the building
all images courtesy of TCA think tank 

by shaping it as an aggregative tower, TCA think tank concludes the study for the ‘ABC art bund center’ in shanghai. the examination encloses a network of relationships between spaces, paths, and scales. the building arranges multiple programs in a sequence of open areas, sloping paths and floors that together form a continuous exploration of the possibility of space. it includes an art district, ateliers, museums, workshops, academy, exhibition spaces, performance halls, libraries, leisure spaces, bookshops, covered and open-air squares, connected with the underground system.

underground

the creation of a void or empty space full of potential activities, generates an area that can be accessed from all directions. in this system anything can happen, challenging traditions of strictly defining functions to the space. single elements inside the empty space shape the paths and direct the crowd towards the inside of the tower. the underground space is connected to the outside because it is a reflection of the other, shaped using the continuity of the external elements, reversing the logic of the components in the empty place inside. 

library 

the high grade of complexity is the result of the junction and overlapping of the finalized composition. the generated space, surrounded physical and immaterial barriers represent the spatial bubbles that delimit small realities and create small-scale bignesses. a cavity is formed because of the empty void defined by floor-to-floor ramps and stairs along the inside perimeter. two main vertical connections start from the ground and connect the levels while supporting the structure. the elements compress the space inside and the ramps define the path’s continuity  without interruptions. this enhances the relation between the spaces thanks to diagonal slab, free plans, and the creation of continuous exchange between programs while increasing the physical and visual connections.

art garden

the union of many small situations gives the bigness and the last evolution of the space, returning it to a single element. the repetition of a defined and regular shape that multiplies, represents the type of space. the design abstracts itself from any substance, giving it a sense of evanescence.

view of the whole building

model 

model

sectioned model 

structure drawing 

plan 9th level 

floors 

location context

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edited by: juliana neira | designboom