“Cross” Multifunctional Bookstore

INSPIRATION:

"Cross" here is a verb. In the Chinese context, it means "ferry" and "transition." In Mahayana Buddhism, "cross" means Dharma ferries all living beings to the other side of the river of wisdom. So does the bookstore. "Transition" is interpreted by the "Moon Gate and Arch" Space partition installation with color and shape gradients. Because the Chinese classical Moon Gate and the Arch from the West are the abstract visual symbols of Zhongshan city, it is a hometown of overseas Chinese where Chinese and Western cultures blend.

UNIQUE PROPERTIES / PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

This compound bookstore provides a place for comfortable reading and salon activities in public. It’s funded by the government and with low construction budget. The bookstore’s aesthetics are Chinese and Western, modern and classical, and simple and colorful. The "Moon Gate and Arch" Space partition installation not only means no cultural ramparts between human cultures but also encourages readers to open their minds and approach the truth infinitely.

PRODUCTION / REALIZATION TECHNOLOGY :

Due to the low construction budget, a virtual warehouse-like space was created by the designer in 70% of the area to save money. Yet, the other 30% used the parametric plugin Grasshopper to generate numerous changing Chinese Moon Gates and Western Arches. They combine into a large space partition installation to create a solid spatial logic and visual impact for spatial accessibility and regularity. The structure of perforated aluminum panels was prefabricated at the factory to shorten the project time and simplify the site construction craft.

SPECIFICATIONS / DIMENSION / PACKAGE / TECHNICAL PROPERTIES:

The design area is about 780 square meters. The installation covers approximately 245 square meters. It has 48 moon gates and arches, parametrically generated according to each part of space's areas, spans, and functions. A computer numerical control factory produces them. Make the produced components exactly match the site. The installation frameworks were steel, and the interfaces were made of perforated aluminum plates. The LED light strips embedded in the framework render hard material as soft as gauze.

OPERATION / FLOW / INTERACTION:

The colorful "Moon Gate and Arch" define different functional spaces and guide people to find where the desired product or book is located quickly. Such as salon space, coffee space, study space, leisure space, and other places. Color corresponds to a spatial function, and this rule strengthens the reader's memory of the spatial logic, making it difficult to get lost. The rainbow-like gradient color gives a soft and clean visual enjoyment.

RESEARCH ABSTRACT:

Research background: In the age of Internet addiction, the amount of paper book reading by the Chinese public has dropped dramatically, and the government subsidizes bookstores to guide the public to read and brighten their wisdom. They hope that the bookstore can interpret the urban culture of Zhongshan City.

Objective: Multiple functions, strong spatial identifiability, short construction period, unique design aesthetics and connotation, precise control of construction process by parametric software, low cost.

Methodology: Research the history and culture of the city where the bookstore is located, interviews with target groups, and data analysis of user needs. The data of the analysis results are used as the parametric design variables to generate the “Moon Gate and Arch” space partition installation.

Tools for data collection and use: SPSS.

The design: Based on the data from the analysis above, the parametric plugin Grasshopper calculated a changing system, “Moon Gate and Arch” to match the spatial functions, spans, and areas and forms the spatial logic and identifiability with the transition of colors.

Opinion and influence: The composite function of contemporary aesthetics bookstores not only provide the public with space for social interaction, reading, activities, coffee, and exhibition in the city but also serve as the medium and contact point for disseminating urban cultural impression.

CREATIVE / RESEARCH CHALLENGE:

The most challenging parts of the project are: First, find out the deep connection between the abstract cultural symbols of Zhongshan City and the connotation of the verb Cross brand; Then, solve the contradiction between the low-cost budget and the realization of creative ideas. Finally, the design used controllable parametric data extraction and factory-prefabricated cheap perforated aluminum plate to realize "Moon Gate-Arch" Space partition installation, making it not only a partition or boundary but also corridors or tunnels.