The huge-scale building of the Xinxiang Tourism Center in China sets like ice cubes on the water and consists of three large clusters of 9 small cubes. All of the lights here are designed by PROL, who further extends the design concept of exploring the hidden value of light to work out the urban artistic landmarks in the Central Plains, namely the winter wonders.
Text description provided by the architects. The Xinxiang Cultural Tourism Center is the architectural icon of the new tourism district, which will be dedicated to winter sports, including the presence of the future indoor ski slope. The ambition of the project is to create a strong urban indicator that unites the whole district. The project does not look like a classic building. It is a sculpture out of scale, a pure and monumental volume.
There are nine ice cubes superposed and offset from each other, representing the general theme of the leisure district. This simple appearance becomes subtle and complex as one approaches – The texture of the glass facades is composed of a multitude of tangled translucent ice crystals that filter the light and the vision from the interior. It is a question of hiding – whilst showing – to provoke mystery and the desire to approach. The ice crystals capture the light and give it back. The building thus seems to emit the light it receives like a mass of inhabited ice.
By day and by night, it is a lighthouse that rises above the surrounding buildings. Its light attracts visitors and creates a landmark for the entire neighborhood. At night, the facades are fully illuminated and light up the surroundings. The building radiates a uniform glow that irresistibly catches the eye and prevents a direct view of the interior life. At the top, the Sky Lounge allows observing the landscape in 360 degrees.
Photography by Arch-Exist
