conference center by MARS studio appears as an urban floating island in china

floating on a picturesque lake in a scenic area, right next to the chengdu tianfu airport, in china, MARS studio has introduced their proposal for a new conference center building. aiming to achieve a harmonious integration of architecture and landscape, the project has been designed as a major communication hub where people can connect with both urban and natural surroundings.

all images courtesy of MARS studio

the design by MARS studio, with its geometric shape and futuristic atmosphere, is actually inspired by the ancient chinese architecture of sloped roofs and landscape courtyards. this traditional structure is also followed in terms of spatial organization, in order to accommodate the various functions of the whole conference center. the facade of the building is intertwined with solid wood and glass, with the two materials being distributed rhythmically and gradually like ripples of water, reflecting the surrounding nature.

the solid wood facade achieves a balanced integration of the building with the environment – wood is a building material used in china for thousands of years, representing the traditional part of architectural design. its counterpart is the modern glass facade, reflecting the sparkling lake and the dense forest, imprinting the poetic natural scenery onto the building. the deep and shallow glass surfaces are vertically interlaced, forming an innovative wavy dimension on the exterior. at the same time, the combination of dark glass and wooden blinds effectively reduces direct sunlight, making the entire design more energy-saving, and eco-friendly.

conceived as an urban spiritual island extended from the deep forest, the building encourages surrounding residents, as well as guests from all over the world, to gather, communicate, and enjoy the artistic conception of nature together. visitors can observe the lake, feel the breeze, sunshine, and fresh air on the wide terrace of every floor. here, people can converse with the mountains, water, sky, and earth at any time.

the center of the island serves as a conference center, an exhibition center, and a multi-function hall. meanwhile, the periphery of the island is equipped with a presentation hall, conference room, small theater, cinema, and restaurant. the central roof is surrounded by the outer roof group, generating a secluded, mysterious urban zen house which provides a meditative rest area for guests. each building section can be connected through an indoor corridor and an outdoor bridge. various landscaped courtyards are placed within the built units, echoing the remote view of the mountain forest and adding spirituality and vitality to the design. 

project info:

name: tianfu conference center
architecture office: MARS studio
lead architect: ma ning
design team: liu wenhao, qin yu, zheng meng, wang fangting, zhang kun
location: chengdu, china 

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: myrto katsikopoulou | designboom