Project Overview

The project which is named “A Nearby Place” is a community restaurant with an outdoor square, nestling under a light rail line and acting as a connection point between the city and an urban village. It is a place where stories happened in restaurants, bazaars and alleys become dinner conversations.
The design intervention and strategy was based on systematic thinking. To enrich community facilities and social activities, functions like community life, stage and physical exercise are included in the design in addition to catering services. It was the spontaneous behaviors of local residents as well as the missing functions of the community inspired the design and the utilization of the site. The design process started from the thinking of significance, then to the discussion on form, and in the end, a return to human demands.

Project Commissioner

Sijili (Shenzhen) Catering Service Co., Ltd.

Project Creator

Onexn Architectural & Spatial Design Office (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.

Team

Zhang Bo, Wang Jingjing, Li Wenjing, Feng Tiankai

Project Brief

It’s not a good thing that the city grows too fast. The highlight of the project lies in the discussion on and shaping of public space. As a project attached to the topic of village in the city, it discussed how to provide an effective vitalization approach and community strategy for the fast-developing city. The design itself did not want to put stress on any techniques, but focused on how to embody the concepts of community life. The life concepts were mainly inspired by the experience and feeling of the site. In addition to functioning as a dining space, the square can hold singing competition, salon activities, etc. The stair-like facade space well harmonizes with surrounding areas. People can freely and casually chat with friends and enjoy daily activities here.

Project Innovation/Need

Through deep research on the characteristics and conditions of the site, as well as the behaviors of people and living, the design team discovered the additional attribute and potential of this site for getting involved into future dialogue with the city, providing a social platform for local residents, and supporting safety supervision in the community.
Upon completion, the project has become a gathering place for hosting community activities. On weekends, various activities such as singing competitions, debates, and movies, etc. are held, thus transforming a formerly negative place into a positive and meaningful public community space.
In terms of social impact, this project is intended to invite people to stop by and relax in an leisurely atmosphere. Therefore, an open square is designed. The square space is divided according to the physical scales of children and adults. By putting everyone to where they belong, local residents' expectation on a community square is satisfied. Meanwhile, empowered by locality and spontaneity, and taking catering as the core advantage, this place will gradually foster its distinctive commercial vitality and an identity of public community space.

Design Challenge

At the start, we thought that the biggest challenge of this project was to communicate with our client, but actually we were fully understood, trusted and supported by the client. The real challenge lied in the construction stage when the construction work was often stopped by the urban management and law enforcement personnel for two reasons. On the one hand, because the site was relatively sensitive, the approval process of the external square was delayed. On the other hand, though with approval, related management personnel often came to the site for supervision, as the public spatial boundary of the square was very sensitive and involved some interests. Besides, relatively strict construction time limit and continuous heavy rain also posed difficulties. But finally, the project was fully completed.

Sustainability

This project is composed of interior and outdoor areas. Since the existing conditions of the site were relatively excellent, the design team focused more on how to trigger interaction on the site whilst introducing some new materials. For instance, many walls at the square are kept in original condition, and new elements like pillars, laminated bamboo panels and steel panels are chosen because of their durable and economical properties. The facade steps are formed by cast-in-place concrete, providing passers-by with resting areas.

Interior Design - International Public or Institutional

This award celebrates innovative and creative building interiors with consideration given to space creation and planning, furnishings, finishes and aesthetic presentation. Consideration also given to space allocation, traffic flow, building services, lighting, fixtures, flooring, colours, furnishings and surface finishes.
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