China National Archives of Publications and Culture / THAD

In the due north of Beijing, where the plain and the low-mountain area meet, lies a tranquil, picturesque land surrounded by luxuriant forests. Known as a “peaceful wonderland in northern Beijing,” it is where the China National Archives of Publications and Culture is located. The site, unbelievably, used to be an abandoned quarry. In April 2019, THAD received a design invitation for the China National Archives of Publications and Culture from the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee. A team led by Zhuang Weimin, a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, submitted a design proposal for the project. After three rounds of competitions with top design institutions and universities in China, THAD won. Following the development philosophy for the new era, Zhuang and his team carried out ecological rehabilitation on the abandoned quarry, restored the landscape of the site, and created an architectural complex that carries cultural features and integrates into the surroundings. After completion, the China National Archives of Publications and Culture, which has a gross floor area of 99,500 square meters, erects majestically at the foot of the Yan Mountains.

The Colour Burst House / LIJO RENY architects

“We want to enjoy the rain, from every room of our house”, was the initial statement made by the clients in their project brief. "The Color Burst House" was the result, and it included three enormous, double-height open-to-sky courtyards that all of the main rooms could open into, allowing the occupants to enjoy the rain, light, and breeze with the changing seasons from the comfort of their rooms.

Last Day to Vote for the ArchDaily Building of the Year Awards

We invite you to participate in the ArchDaily Building of the Year Awards. We ask you to recognize and reward the projects that you feel are creating the largest impact in the built environment, that ArchDaily has published on our projects database in 2022. By voting, you form part of an interdependent, impartial, distributed network of jurors and peers that has consistently helped us celebrate architecture of every scale, purpose, and condition, from countries large and small, and architects of all descriptions. Already 4000 projects have been filtered down to just 75 finalists – representing the best in each project category on ArchDaily.

MIXC SUNGANG Commercial and Residential Building / 10 Design

International architecture practice 10 Design (part of Egis Group) has successfully converted a former warehouse site into a retail-gastronomy destination, marking an important milestone for the ongoing transformation of the Sungang industrial area. 10 Design was commissioned to reimagine the site into a 78,890sqm retail and F&B space topped with two Grade-A office towers. As part of the urban regeneration plan, the masterplan also includes residential and serviced apartment towers, resettlement housing, and public amenities.

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