Architect Drawings : A Selection of Sketches by World Famous Architects Through History

Chen, Shi Min (1935)
Section sketch, October 24, 1982, Nan Hai Hotel, SheKou, ShenZhen, China,
8.3 11.7in., Pencil on tracing paper
Chinese architect Chen Shi Min has completed many celebrated large-scale commercial projects. The
firm that carries his name has offices in ShenZhen and Hong Kong. He was born in Ya-An town of
Sichuan Province in 1935. He attended Chongqing Institute of Architecture and Engineering, graduating
in 1954. Chen has had two books published about his work, Era and Space (1996) and Chen Shi Min
(1997). A few of his more renowned projects, all in China, include: Hongji Commercial Center,
Tianjin (1994–1999); Daxin Building, Chongqing (1997–2000); New Downtown, Shenzhen (1996);
Shenzhen Railway Station (1989–1992); Architectural Cultural Centre, Beijing (1995–1999); and the
China Construction Corporation Complex, Chongqing (1996–1999). 6
This sketch (Figure 8.5) shows early explorations for the Nanhai Hotel in Shekou, ShenZhen,
China. Chen writes that the project was being designed during a period when China was moving
towards modernization. At this time, most buildings were of high-rise construction; this was a lowrise
design, with respect for environmental resources and its site features. The organization presents
five volumes, spread along a curve, to form the complex – referencing Chinese traditional architecture
by linking volumes. Inside the hotel, the space is organized in a fan shape, in accordance with the
curved enclosure resulting from the composition.
Chen describes the site as having a backdrop of hills and facing the open sea, as the Nanhai Hotel
is located away from the city’s busy traffic. The priority of the design was to ensure harmony
between the hotel and its beautiful environment. The master plan of the project was formed by five
rectangular building blocks, evenly distributed along a curved line that echoes the lines of the
seashore and the hills. The main feature of the hotel buildings is their terraced forms. This not only
maximizes natural light and fresh air to the hotel rooms, but also harmonizes with the outline of the
hill. The green space of the hotel blends with the foreshore vegetation to form a single open space.
To gain the full benefit of the location, the ground level has been raised so that visitors can enjoy the
ocean view (with Hong Kong visible in the distance) from the lobby, café, restaurant, and other public
areas.
The sketches show a perspective view from the water and a diagram section through the site. As
Chen has described it, one can see the connected volumes in the minimal sketch. Done by a controlled
hand, the small sketch is composed of few lines representing the salient features of the hotel. In
many cases, an architect’s hand does not waver in the distance of a short line and the gesture is within
the size of a hand stroke. Both sketches appear to envision the whole project in relation to its parts to
visualize the look of the complex and the volume relationships through the site. Many of the lines have
been left gaped since they need not cross each other to achieve the intended effect. This ambiguity
helps to understand the totality of the project in its early stages, before final details have been determined.
In like manner, the windows and roof have not been completely rendered, giving a brief
impression of openings and the shape of the roof.
The section diagram identifies important features and specific views with arrows. Chen has used
written notes to comment on these design factors for spatial relationships or identifying elements. The
two sketches communicate a thinking that requires visual notes.
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