Introduction

MixC is located at the core business district of Tianehu in the city of Hefei, Anhui Province. It has been a benchmark commercial complex since its opening in 2015. Due to rapid transformation in commercial developments in recent years, CR Land has high hopes for the project and kickstarted the first phase of the renovation on the rooftop. Through strategic upgrade, our involvement has brought dramatic transformation to the rooftop commercial realm.

The making of a successful commercial rooftop has always been a difficult challenge. Through this regeneration, our design focused on creating ultimate experientiality at the final destination - FOODIE SKY. The rooftop becomes not only an extension of the commercial space, but also a sky garden with a surreal sense of refuge and retreat.    

01.Derelict Original Site

The rooftop was originally in a state of abandonment, and has failed to contribute positively towards the commercial realm. Concrete paving with overgrown weeds were our first impression of the space.

Spatially Fragmented

The layout of the rooftop was fragmented into irregular spaces in various scales, divided by existing facility and equipment rooms. Accessibility to the roof is also poor, lacking effective connectivity with indoor and outdoor environment.

No Commercial Presence

There were no existing shops or businesses, and consequently the rooftop lacks reasons for visits. The renewal requires a comprehensive overhaul with integrated planning and design to reshape the value proposition of the rooftop.

Soil Depth Constraints

Due to technical limits on structural loads, maximum allowed soil depth varies from 0.3m to 1m in different areas of the roof. All additional structures or trees must be designed to be placed on top of existing structural columns.

02.A Drop Of Rain,A Pond Of Lotus,And All Things Are Born

Lotus pond has been a significant cultural landscape element of Anhui Province since ancient times. Historic villages surrounded by mountains, rivers and lotus ponds constitute our impressions of Anhui. The design team re-imagined the rooftop as a spatial container filled with potentials, and formed our conception of “Life in the Lotus Pond”where every drop of rain begins to nurture the lotus seeds we sow.

The design vocabulary is based on our abstraction of “lotus leaf” into rounded circles. Through multiplicity of compositions, we aimed to create spatial context and surreal qualities that depicts the rich vitality of life. Our masterplan design combines conceptual interpretation with inherent consideration for future commercial functions.

We believe ultimate experientiality is best achieved through the purest application of design language. We wanted to reflect the transcendent quality of a surrealist rooftop using abstract symbolism, and ultimately create extraordinary spatiality that has memorable aesthetics where “less is more”.

03.Created Ultimate Experience At The Final Destination

A typical rooftop is located at the very end of circulation, and is also the most difficult space to activate successfully. However, we also found that the roof, as the “fifth facade of the city”, also provides an extraordinary sanctuary that pulls us away from trivialities of daily routines in life.

The concept of“Life in the Lotus Pond”was transformed into transcendent spatial sequences, where visitors could escape from their social identities and ordinary everyday life. The rejuvenated rooftop is more than just an upgrade on the physical space, but more importantly re-establishing customer experiential values in commercial spaces.

Lotus Impressions At Interior Corridor

Lotus impressions were reflected in the artistic conception of the interior space designed by Atelier Global. Boundary between indoor and outdoor was diminished by integratedness of the circular design language. The curved ceiling forms dappled light and shadow on the ground, as if we’re walking beneath lotus leaves at the bottom of the pond.

Lotus Trail At Entry Garden

As we step outside into exterior landscape, we’re immediately welcomed by an entry garden with exquisite planting clusters consisting of Rosmarinus officinalis L., Farfugiumjaponicum（L.f.）Kitam, Hydrangea paniculata Siebold and Woodwardia prolifera Hook. et Arn.. Delicate planting character forms our first impression of the surrealist sky garden.

Lotus Grove At Dining Courtyard

The renovated courtyard is surrounded by dining businesses. The layout takes into consideration of commercial circulation and outdoor dining, with dispersed clusters of planting to form visual and experiential richness at the courtyard. Planting clusters are about 3 to 5 meters apart, deliberately creating sense of affinity in scale. The garden consists of tallow trees with plantings such as Leucocasia gigantea (Blume) Schott, Aspidistra elatior Blume, Farfugiumjaponicum（L.f.）Kitam, Agapanthus africanus and Nephrolepis cordifolia (L.) C. Presl.

Lotus Bay At Stepping Terraced

As we stroll towards the west side of the rooftop, our views open up to the stepping terraces with open lawn in the foreground. The terraces are spatially composed of cascading steps, seating edges, plantings and multi-functional platforms in rounded geometries, creating journey experiences like moving in-between lotus leaves. We used tallow trees and vegetation such as Liatris spicata (L.) Willd., Pseudolysimachion spicatum (L.) Opiz, Salvia japonica Thunb. and Agapanthus africanus to create a subtly differentiated experiential character.

Lotus Pavilions At Focal Stage

Lotus pavilions were designed in collaboration with CAN Design, and they’re spatially integrated at the west end of the openspace, acting as focal space for the rooftop. Stepping terraces and multi-functional platforms below the pavilions can be used for casual gathering during weekdays, and transformed into a performance stage during weekend musical events. The pavilions have successfully become a distinctive landmark and photospot, attracting and encouraging visitors to spend more time at the roof for recreational activities. Plantings such as Rosmarinus officinalis L., Crossostephium chinense (L.) Makino and Gomphostigma virgatum in ground coverings of wood chips contribute to a somewhat rustic sense of natural immersion.

Lotus Pond At Activity Lawn

A 300sqm flexible event lawn surrounded by stepping terraces is located at the center. It is an openspace that accommodates public and commercial activities such as open-air music festivals, outdoor movies and camping. During regular days, the activity lawn also provides a leisure openspace for family play. The lawn is separated from dining businesses by existing skylights, and the design team uses vegetation to conceal their undesirable presence. Species such as Aspidistra elatior Blume, Rosmarinus officinalis L., Salvia japonica Thunb. and Agapanthus africanus are used.

04.Prototype Variations Of Lotus Leaves

The design vocabulary of rounded circles is repeatedly articulated into the landscape. Through our strategic application of spatial prototype systems, we have constructed diversified spatial relationships to enrich experientiality with a distinctive identity, while maintaining unification that’s consistent with our conceptual narrative.

Formulation Of Cascading Terraces

Cascading terraces in curvilinear forms are woven together through superimposed layering of circles. Abstraction of “lotus leaves” is materialized into landform spaces to enclose the activity lawn at the center, forming an activity theater embedded in nature.

Formulation Of Planting Clusters

Due to structural constraints, trees must be planted in raised planters to meet soil depth requirements. The design team intentionally articulates compositions of rounded planters in different heights and sizes to optimize perception of scale from multiple angles. These clusters are an abstract depiction of lotus communities in the pond, creating three-dimensional visual interests with flourishing richness.

Formulation Of Water Features

The water feature in dining courtyard consists of three rounded pools that are 13cm in thickness, with dotted LED lights at pool bottom mimicking the reflection of the starry sky above. The special rippling effect is achieved through a circular kinetic plate that gently pushes the water surface into spreading waves. This vividly simulates the rippling diffusion effect of rain drops in nature.

Formulation Of Skylight Garden

Existing skylights next to activity lawn blends into the overall landscape. Nine sets of rounded circles wrap around the skylights, and are additionally planted with Rosmarinus officinalis L. and Gomphostigma virgatum, forming a vegetated carpet integrated with the environment.

Formulation Of Feature Pavilions

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Focal pavilions in circular form rise from the ground and are materialized into giant lotus leaves, providing shelter and forming pockets of refuge. Rammed earth finishes of the pavilions create a sense of rustic surrealism.

05.Behind-The-Scenes Design Thinking

Customization Of Prefabricated Shell-Aggregate Terrazzo

We used prefabricated custom material in the hardscape of the terraces. Customized terrazzo has shell aggregates in the mix, which not only elevates the sense of quality in the appearance, but is also consistent with the material used on the exterior walls of the renovated rooftop. Terraces in white-colored terrazzo create visual contrast with dark gray pavings on the ground, reflecting our artistic conception of lotuses growing over the pond.

Articulation Of Platform Branching Patterns

Due to maximum size limit on prefabricated terrazzo, the design takes into consideration of pavage subdivisions on large terrace platforms. Our modular design is inspired from the veins of lotus leaf to divide them into formal combinations in branching pattern. Each terrazzo paving is controlled within sizes suitable for prefabrication, and only six basic modules are used to generate the entirety of raised platforms.

Articulation Of Curvilinear Step Subdivisions

It is also worth mentioning that curvilinear steps are also subject to maximum size constraints of terrazzo prefabrication. Our subdivision logic uses turning points of the curves to form radial angles for pavage subdivisions, mimicking the veins of lotus leaves. Edge of the steps also uses prefabricated terrazzo panels to form a clean border for the cascading terraces.

System Logic Of Planting Compositions

Planting clusters need to take into consideration of multiple perspectives and viewpoints. Rounded planters at varying heights further add to the challenge of configuring plant compositions. Three types of planting typologies were strategized to accomplish balanced assemblage properties of each cluster. The three typologies include “iconic, intermediate, and characteristic”. By categorizing typology-based plant selections, we were able to create rich dynamism in their visual and experiential qualities.

Endnote

The rejuvenated sky garden of Hefei MixC - Foodie Sky showcased transformative rebirth that manifests lifestyle place-making with integrated beauty and surrealism. We are fascinated by human-nature relationships behind seemingly complex natural systems, and seek to innovate place-making through conceptualizing design language into landscape systems, and ultimately creating surrealism in the experientiality of an iconic commercial rooftop.