“For architects, the façade is not only a way of expression, but also to protect and sculpt the interior space. The façade brings the architecture a sense of diversity, making it the focus of the entire city.” Ken explained.
On 25 July, Zak World of Facades Greater China was held in Shanghai, RIBA China Members Group’s Chairman, Aedas Global Design Principal Ken Wai, was invited as the keynote speaker. Ken shared his insights on architectural design concepts and the practice of cutting-edge facades technology with the guests.
As RIBA China Members Group’s Chairman, Aedas Global Design Principal Ken Wai introduced the development of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), one of the most influential architectural associations in the world.
According to Ken, creating an architecture is a process of “creating a story”. Each building has its own story and this requires the architect to conduct an in-depth research on local culture and fully understand the needs of clients throughout the design process, so as to integrate appearance, structure, functionality and other elements.
Taking THR350 as an example – a residential project in Hong Kong designed by Ken, the client was not only aiming to provide housing for the family, but also looking for a home for his extensive art collection and to express his love for art through architecture.
The design concept is inspired by an old photograph showing a waterfall dropping through a background formation of stacked basalt organ pipes. In the middle of façade, there are three inverted ice cubes, showcasing the concept of waterfall and integrating contrasts and harmony.
The glass used on all the façades is low-iron, low-E openable double glazing with a sun shading layer between the inner and outer panes of glass. Such design bestows the “twists of ice cubes” a different shimmer of reflectivity and ensures privacy.
Ken then shared the newly-designed Chongqing Gaoke Group Ltd Office Project as an example. The unique design is inspired by the dancing aurora. The non-linear curves work with linear curves to soften the façade. For all the super high-rise towers completed and under construction globally, the biggest twisting amount is 5.9 degree/floor (CTBUH Journal, 2016 Issue 3). Chongqing Gaoke, will be “the most twisting tower in the world’ upon completion – the absolute degree of rotation from the ground floor to the top floor plate is 8.8 degree/floor.
