MVRDV has transformed number 133 Wai Yip Street, Hong Kong into a completely transparent office building. The architects stripped the building down to its primary structure and left it in view, then used glass to make all the furniture and even equipment such as computers and speakers.
"Transparency" is the key concept in MVRDV's recent project in Hong Kong.
Winy Maas and his studio transformed an existing building located at number 133 Wai Yip Street, Hong Kong into a spacious, brightly lit office space. The architects stripped away all useless coverings to reduce the construction to its bare structure, and then used glass to make all the furniture and even equipment such as computers and speakers.
The transparency of the rooms responds to two needs: it demonstrates that "there is nothing to hide", generating trust among consumers, and by revealing the building's original structure, it preserves the memory of the neighbourhood's industrial past.
Use of glass does not compromise the building's energy performance, for it consumes 17% less than other similar office buildings in Hong Kong.
On the outside, the purity of the structure is revealed by use of glass, stainless steel and white paint. Exposed vertical links make the building a dynamic element in its setting, attracting passers-by. MVRDV has been investigating alternative uses of glass in architecture for some time, in recent projects such as the Markthal in Rotterdam, the Crystal House in Amsterdam and the Infinity Kitchen presented at the Architecture Exhibition of the Biennale in Venice.
(Agnese Bifulco)
Design team: MVRDV: Winy Maas, Jacob van Rijs and Nathalie de Vries with Renske van der Stoep, Wenchian Shi, Martine Vledder, Arjen Ketting, Kyo Suk Lee, Edwin Veth, Gerard Heerink, Ting Wen, Nicolas Lee, Jason Slabbynck, Matias Thomsen, Matteo Artico, Emilie Koch, Arian Lehner, Sanne van der Burgh, Mikel Vazquez and Klaas Hofman
Co-architect: Arch-Innovativ
Location: Hong Kong
Images courtesy of MVRDV photo by © Ossip van Duivenbode
https://www.mvrdv.com
