Xi Hall – The Levitated Curtain

say architects

Short description

Located in a resort in the outskirts of Guangzhou, the Levitated Curtain is an iconic building for wedding ceremonies and public events.

Wok Room
The unique streamline of Xi Hall was inspired from the Wok Room, a traditional residential architecture from Lingnan area of China that featured with wok-handle-shaped pediment. The architect abstracted the shape of a wok wall and applied it to the east and west elevation of Xi Hall, by which two wok-wall-shaped openings were created, connecting the interior to the outdoor landscape. Between the walls with the special openings, there is a curved roof sloping towards the grassland in the north like an elegantly draped curtain.

Floating Curtains
Looking through the void of the“wok walls”, the dark curved roofs is floating and dancing like three curtains. The structure under the ceiling is painted white, almost invisible if you look at the building from the east or the west perspective; when the lights come into the hall through the U-shaped glass wall, the entire building is calmly“floating”above the ground. When the night falls, the space is illuminated from the inside, then the sense of volume is highlighted with the light, making the architecture a Kongming lantern that is about to levitate, bringing blessings to the nature and the people here.The curtain-like streamlined roof endows the building with an embracing gesture, holding mountains, forests and rivers into its arms, thus a space of spirit and nature was created, allowing more air and light to flow into the building, and bringing out a demeanor of floating in the stillness.

Open and Connected
As a place for gathering and sharing, the architect looks forward to bringing more flexibility to the space to connect the activities inside the hall and the fabulous landscape outside. Eventually it is a completely open space, adding a romantic touch to the spirituality of nature with a modest but welcoming gesture.