CROX completes cultural center as part of science and technology campus in china

architecture studio CROX has completed the ‘longquan well’ cultural center as part of a vast science and technology campus near chengdu, the capital of southwestern china’s sichuan province. home to more than 240 firms, the chengdu science and technology industry incubation park is located in tianfu new district — 30 kilometers (19 miles) south of the city center. as a new platform for health-tech companies, the park hopes to build eye-catching structures at its entrance to serve as new landmarks for the development.

all images by kuomin lee

in 2014, CROX was commissioned to design a cultural center for the site where people can gather and communicate. the architects say that the design’s nature-inspired concept is based on an ancient chinese story that an emperor worships the ‘longquan well’. 

the white building comprises four storeys, including a basement level and an accessible roof terrace. the façade is punctured with tear drop-shaped windows, a subtle reference to the bodies of water found in and around the structure. at the entrance, visitors are greeted by two half-moon pools. meanwhile, a large oval pool is found within the inner atrium with bamboo shoots emerging from the basement level below. this subterranean storey provides exhibition space, with a welcoming lobby, conference rooms, and a small gallery found at ground level.

the upper storey contains more conference rooms as well as a communal area and two small offices. finally, a staircase leads to a roof terrace that offers views across the campus. the building collects and stores rainwater, while the pools help naturally cool the building. greenery has also been integrated throughout the design. see other projects by CROX on designboom here.

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project info:

name: longquan well-chengdu jingkai white building
location: chengdu, china
architecture and landscape design: CROX
design team: lin congran, zhou tianye, sun lidong, ni guoyue, zhu jiayi, li bangle, zhu jinhui, lin sen, li bentao, ye xiunan, zhuang xueyan, zhang mingzheng, pan tianyi
working drawing design partner: sichuan zhongheng architectural design co., ltd.
completion time: april, 2020
materials: cement, glass, green plants, stone, lighting, metal
landscape area: 3,633 sqm
GFA: ground floor area: 1,034 sqm; underground area: 700 sqm
client: chengdu jingkai technology industry incubation co., ltd.
construction unit: sichuan no.3 construction co., ltd.
photography: kuomin lee