Architecture Asia Special Issue - ARCASIA Awards for Architecture 2020

HONORABLE
MENTION
Xi’an OCT 108 Lanes
A-2
Multi-Family
Residential Complexes
Architect:
MU Zhonghui
Location:
Xi’an, China
Drawing on the imagery of the East and the verve of the North, and inspired by the traditional
building principles (Li and Fang) of Chinese city blocks, this project highlights spatial hierarchy
and order by creating a multi-layered space and a “square–street–alley– courtyard” spatial
structure moving from the outside to the inside. As the main building unit, the Liuheyuan,
modeled on the traditional Chinese residential courtyard pattern, innovatively integrates six
separate villas into the main space. The residential pattern, centering on the main space,
indicates a preference for nature and an ideal of living in harmony with nature among the
Chinese and, more broadly, East Asians.
JURY CITATION: The warm grey bricks, cold grey tiles, and mild timber, which are typical
Chinese signature materials, generally create a deep and ineloquent atmosphere. The project
researched the typology of courtyard housing and reinvented it with consideration of the
demands and privacy of modern life, bringing good quality of communal space and creation
of shared space.
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