The Lighthouse Showroom
UA studio 7 present one out of 5 commercial buildings planned for the new development in southeastern Shanghai, China – this particular one is a showroom and an art gallery. Because it is positioned in the middle of an artificial lake, it resembles the idea of a lighthouse – only, in a rather contemporary style.
The building is circular in shape and as it sits at the tip of the peninsula, it does make a statement of functioning as a lighthouse. Due to its oval character, it offers an almost 300 degrees of a panoramic view and creates a sort of a panoptic scene. The circular character is derived from UA studio 7’s approach towards creating and experimenting with ‘dialogues’, interactions and natural behaviours of the waterfront and its relation with the land.
Another aspect that brings up the lighthouse analogy is that its façade creates a misty, cloud-like texture. This is inevitably reminiscent of the event of open sea in fog and mist, where only the light from the lighthouse can guide ships towards land. The design of the glazed curtain wall is treated according to the different functions that take place in the interior environment. This therefore creates a parametric system of defining how and where would the vertical fin of the façade go so that there is a variation in the penetration of natural light.
And yet another aspect of the showroom’s design that makes it analogical to a lighthouse is how the building behaves at nighttime. The vertical fins have integrated LED lights, and during nighttime the misty cloud becomes bright and colourful. Like the lighthouse has become a landmark of orientation and simply light, this new showroom might become an iconic piece of a modernized-synthesized lighthouse interpretation.
Architect: UA Studio 7
Project Team: Yu Zhifeng (Director), Zhou Jungang (Project Manager), Yin Shun, Li Yaojing, Yin Shanhong, Ye Yulin
Client: GreenLand Group
