AZL architects: three courtyards community center, china

AZL architects: three courtyards community center, jiangsu province, china

image © iwan baan

a rapidly developing area along the yangtze river called for a community center for recreation, dining and meeting spaces for the residents and

employees of the burgeoning city of yangzhou. the structure used streamlined form and a rich architectonic palette to balance the likes of the

2500 year old beijing-hangzhou grand canal nearby and the  sleek glass office blocks that so characterize early urbanity. zhang lei of chinese

firm AZL architects used the cluster of three buildings to assert a statement about the potential for architecture to unify a shifting landscape.

forty-five degree angle pitched roofs visually halt a pattern of locally produced red brick staggered in such a way that the both skin and s

tructure are rendered dynamic, complex planes. 

while the roof profile references the local village dwelling typology, the terra-cotta bricks anchor the building into the site in a new way.

two masonry patterns are employed to varying effects– one where every second brick juts out in a three-dimensional herringbone pattern;

the other a lattice-like interlaced regular pattern that allowed for cross-ventilation. the three courtyard blocks are organized around the

conceptual themes of bamboo, stone and water while aggregating in such a way as to reference the closeness of a village community.

open walkways and wooden lattice work provide both airiness and privacy, bolstered by the double entrance court in each building.

interiors are a balanced spatial composition of small rooms, common in chinese chinese restaurants, and large public spaces for

events and meetings. 

locally produced tera cotta bricks are employed in both structure and skin

image © iwan baan

materials and rooflines reference the agrarian village, but the streamlined forms hint at a contemporary development 

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the cluster of buildings in the green agricultural landscape 

image © iwan baan

architectural form abstracts vernacular built space 

image © iwan baan

image © iwan baan

the pitched roof geometry visually halts the brick skin 

image © iwan baan

the brick is configured in myriad ways to articulate the space, here is a herringbone pathway and lattice-like walls 

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wooden trellises allow walkways to be both private and airy 

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the wooden screens are another abstracted reference to chinese gardens 

image © iwan baan

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project info: 

location: yangzhou, jiangsu province, chinaarchitects: zhang lei / azl architectsproject team: zhang lei, shen kaikang, yang hefengcollaborator: yangzhou city planning & design instituteproject area: 1900 sqm