A Bank for Burbank

Architecture

2018

with Hanqing Yao

​

The project starts with a precedent study of The Kunsthal Rotterdam made by OMA. We build the study model of the building as massing modules. The project borrows the major volumes of the OMA buildings such as the ramp, L shape and cubes. Based on the study of the site, we designed a horizontally expanded building that continually go across three blocks.

 

The wrapping on the exterior walls shows the transaction of the programs. Sometimes it works as window frames. The density of the gird follows the character of the program inside. For example, the cafe and park building has bigger openings and the movie theatre has relatively smaller openings. From Left to right, the spaces is divided into a retail space, bank space, and a park.

 

We are interested in the moment of intersection between building blocks. Also, The quality of the thickness of the foam core was represent in the buildings in different ways. For example, the intersection of the the ramp and the middle building blocks contains circulation and divide spaces for different programs. The intersection of the L shape and the middle blocks was used as the vault of the bank. The space was surrounded by corridors that emphases the privateness and safety of the vault. The intersection between the office and the cafe services as a circulation.

 

Enter from left, there is a restaurant with outdoor and retail spaces. The ramp leads to a movie theatre. The bank that wrapped by meshes has the entrance in the front. there are tellers and customer service. The two stairs, on is more public and the other is more private all leads to office spaces on the second floor. The space on the right contains a cafe, a lobby and a park building. 

 

When the wrapping touches the group, it creates interaction of people and the site.