Hangzhou Xiangfu Community Center

The building’s massing is designed as a semi-enclosed “L” shape, which not only mitigates the sense of enclosure and visual pressure on the adjacent residences but also opens up the semi-enclosed space along the street, thereby creating a boundless public realm within the site. To ensure that the urban “negative” space in front of the sales center and the future community service center remains fully accessible in all weather, a dramatically cantilevered canopy has been strategically positioned above, lending the urban public space a strong sense of identity and permeability.

For the material of the large cantilevered canopy, we chose extensive mirrored stainless steel. The canopy reflects the surrounding activity, creating a new relationship between people and the landscape—between seeing and being seen. This invisible exchange gives rise to a fresh way of understanding the environment.