Trace Architecture Office designs coastal events space with "sculptural presence"
Chinese studio Trace Architecture Office has completed Tide's Echo Hall, an events and dining space housed within a series of minimalist structures on the coast of Shandong Province. Described by the studio as a "multifunctional cultural and tourism hub", the project comprises three pavilion-like structures containing a conference and exhibitions centre, a restaurant and a The post Trace Architecture Office designs coastal events space with "sculptural presence" appeared first on Dezeen.
Chinese studio Trace Architecture Office has completed Tide's Echo Hall, an events and dining space housed within a series of minimalist structures on the coast of Shandong Province.
Described by the studio as a "multifunctional cultural and tourism hub", the project comprises three pavilion-like structures containing a conference and exhibitions centre, a restaurant and a food court along an existing coastal promenade in Sanggou Bay.
Beijing-based Trace Architecture Office (TAO) looked to give each structure a different relationship to the site, which is located on a beach between dense black pine forest to the west and the Yellow Sea to the east.
"The duality of the natural environment – the vastness of the ocean and the serenity of the woods – provides a rich source of inspiration for the architectural design," explained TAO.
"As visitors navigate through the spaces, the boundaries between interiors and exterior are continually redefined, creating a dynamic and layered spatial journey that responds to both the natural and built environment," it added.
At the centre of the complex is Tide's Echo Hall itself – the largest of the three structures. It contains a circular hall to the south, a small auditorium to the north and a multi-purpose events space to the east.
These three spaces are conceived as separate volumes but housed within a crisp, white-painted concrete volume and united by a canopy-like roof.
They are linked by large atria and curving walkways that lead to a cafe and a paved viewing platform looking out to the sea.
"To mediate between the roof's monumental scale and human dimensions, the design adopts a strategy of breaking down the whole into smaller parts – much like a cluster of coastal rocks," explained the studio.
"Multiple smaller volumes are staggered and stacked, with precise geometric cuts and rotations, creating a rich sequence of layered indoor and outdoor spaces that impart a sculptural presence," it added.
The large roof of the building extends outwards to shelter paved walkways at its edges, where a small staircase provides direct access up onto the viewing platform.
Alongside Tide's Echo Hall is a standalone restaurant building, which responds to its position further inland with an "intimate and tranquil" courtyard layout, overlooking a planted central garden through full-height glazing.
Separated from these two structures by a concrete plaza is the food court, which is housed within a narrow, 170-metre-long structure topped by a zigzagging roof lined internally with timber.
Two spaces wrapped by glass curtain walls occupy either end of the food court, while at its centre, a large space provides an area for market stalls that is open to the sea.
"This configuration creates an open and transparent viewing interface, offering the public a direct and immersive experience with the sea, sky and forest," explained TAO.
TAO was founded in Beijing in 2009 by Hua Li.
Previous projects by the studio include the renovation of a centuries-old building in Yunnan to create a space for bookstore chain Librairie Avant-Garde and an exhibition space in Shenzhen wrapped in a veil of metal mesh.
The photography is by Aogvision unless otherwise stated.
The post Trace Architecture Office designs coastal events space with "sculptural presence" appeared first on Dezeen.
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