17 Jan 2020
RMJM Shanghai's Xiangjiang Gate elegantly mixes heritage with a modern aesthetic
BY Stu Robarts
RMJM Shanghai has won a competition to design a monument for the Hengyang in Hunan Province, China, with a design aimed at reflecting the city's status as a fast-evolving tech hub as well as its cultural heritage.
The Xiangjiang Gate will comprise two bipedal towers that curve up from their feet and rise gracefully together to 177m (581ft), joining and torquing at their midriffs, before separating again at the top.
In addition to being a monument, the structure will serve as a tourist information centre and incorporate a panoramic platform.
The design pays tribute to the location of the city, its convergences of old and new, culture and modernity, the wild geese in ancient Chinese poetry that took winter refuge in Hangyang and the nature of humanity.
According to RMJM Shanghai, they aimed to combine a timeless and modern aesthetic with flexible and sustainable technology in a way that reflects Hangyang's cultural essence.
"The relationship between architecture and the environment has always been a complex one," explained Jieha Qiu, CEO of RMJM Shanghai. "To reach harmony between the two, we at RMJM use climate statistics and engineering parameters to study the most appropriate design forms so that we can shape the best and most suitable architectural forms under special environmental conditions."
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