The talented lot can take inspiration from anything, even orange gantry cranes! MAD architects took inspiration from the industrial structure. They hit the ball out of the park by acing the international competition to design the new Cuntan International Cruise Centre in Chongqing, China. The result is a surreal string of orange buildings elevated above the ground. The complex will read across 65,000-square-metre, with access to the Yangtze River. The futuristic-looking complex will replace the existing cargo terminal, making it leaps and bounds from a regular industrial site into usable public space.
The designers aim to make this river cruise port more than just a port and turn it into a district that supports tourism, shopping, and entertainment. The river port will consist of six buildings spanning 430-meters, standing tall leaning columns and looking absolutely striking with an unusual but attractive orange-hued aluminum. That explains the space division as 15,000 sqm cruise port and 50,000 sqm of commercial space. The port will be connected to the commercial hotspots with sky bridges that will lead to the shops and restaurants.
According to Dezeen, MAD founder Ma Yansong said, “The Yangtze River is more than just a natural landscape in Chongqing. Because of human activities such as shipping traffic and industrial transport, this mountain city is also full of energy and movement.” He continued, “We want to transform this energy in Chongqing from traces of industry into an energy that stimulates the imagination. People can feel the kinetic energy of the city here, but also imagine the public spaces of the future.”
Construction for the new Cuntan International Cruise Centre will commence in November 2022. On taking inspiration from an unusual subject like gantry cranes, the designer said, “We have designed the elevated buildings as if they were a futuristic, free-walking city, seemingly arriving here from elsewhere, and perhaps traveling elsewhere once again someday. The design team has also added a landscape park, a sprawling 100,000 sqm urban green space allowing visitors to bask in a natural setting while enjoying unparalleled views of Chongqing and the Yangtze.
[Via: Designboom]
