Todd SumamnoLocated in the heart of Wujin, the burgeoning southern district of Changzhou, Jiangsu PRC, the Lotus Building and the 3.5 hectare People’s Park has been designed to act as a cultural anchor and civic landmark – establishing a symbolic commitment of the local government’s ambitions and future aspirations.
The physical form of the building has been determined by the need to create a structure which has a distinctive presence; a character piece in a city can be in parts anonymous like so many other rapidly developing Chinese cities. The development, ultimately, seeks to generate participation, to build an ownership of place that builds ties to the community and entices its people to stay and flourish and not to be drawn away. This landmark aims to bring longevity and depth to the community; to set a new standard for architectural ambition in the area and stimulate further urban development.
Studio 505’s design creates a vibrant public realm; key to which is a night lighting system devised to hold a series of changing natural colour combinations for 20 seconds before slowly transitioning to the next scene over 10 seconds. The Lotus Centre and People’s Park has become one of the most popular landmarks in Wujin with a sustained contribution to the social and cultural life of the city.
Brittany Maslo