Construction Log October: Springs before Winter

Just before winter arrives, the main facades are installed. It has been our biggest project yet with a total area of more than 150,000 sqm. It has been one of the more challenging ones, where our involvement stays literally skin deep only (being in charge of the facade and the interiors mainly) with late involvement of us into the project and little room to turn major design decisions prior to us around. 

However, the facade concept is executed very well and with great precision. The changing depth of the mullions and the illumination at night will work well once completed. And we are looking forward to the completion of the project end of 2017. 

Team: Ulrich Kirchhoff, Louise Low, Claudia Wigger, Jorge Benetirez, Matteo Biasiolo, Celine Clivaz, Agnieszka Drankowska, Isabella Ducoli, Eugenio Fontan, Sevan Spiess,  Jorge Gil Suarez, Satoshi Yamada, Yue Zhang

Executive Architect: CESCEC

© 2015, ice - ideas for contemporary environments

Construction Log June: Springs in Summer

Back from Shenyang and a major site meeting for our Springs Hotel. Our biggest construction site reaches already L7. 16 more floor to go. Our local architect is CSCEC, China State Construction. The hotel will feature two 70 x 30 meter ballrooms, stacked on top of each other. As usual, the changes made on the construction site forces us to change design at times. But it is an adventure.

Team: Ulrich Kirchhoff, Louise Low, Claudia Wigger, Jorge Benetirez, Matteo Biasiolo, Celine Clivaz, Agnieszka Drankowska, Isabella Ducoli, Eugenio Fontan, Sevan Spiess,  Jorge Gil Suarez, Satoshi Yamada, Yue Zhang

© 2014, ice - ideas for contemporary environments

Construction Log SYH

We love construction sites! Last time we went to site, the basement was excavated and the pile heads done. Two months later we are seeing the ground floor covered, just before winter will halt construction.

The project is our winning entry for a 90,000 sqm luxury hotel in Shenyang, featuring the one of the larges free spanning ballrooms in China. We are part of a larger consortium (larger means also larger problems, not necessarily better solutions), responsible for the partial design of the architecture, all facades as well as all interiors. The bumpy road gets rewarded by such site visits where you see beside the massive construction problems also the immense large scale of the project - and our ideas becoming real. 

The first picture is the overview of the entire ground, second picture is taken inside the main hotel core. And the third picture is taken from the drop off looking into the lobby area.

If nothing goes wrong, the superstructure will be up to the top floor (25 floors) by middle of next year. The facade should be finished before the end of 2014. And opening will be in 2015.

Team: Ulrich Kirchhoff, Louise Low, Claudia Wigger, Jorge Benetirez, Matteo Biasiolo, Celine Clivaz, Agnieszka Drankowska, Isabella Ducoli, Eugenio Fontan, Sevan Spiess,  Jorge Gil Suarez, Satoshi Yamada, Yue Zhang

© 2013, ice - ideas for contemporary environments