Flagship Store for Southwest China’s Biggest Used Luxury Car Trader

AAs the largest used car trader in Southwest China, Hongmeng is currently expanding and upgrading designed by CLOU its existing used car market in Chengdu’s Shuangliu District.

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Giant Red Roof and Zigzag Glass Façade

Two buildings on the corner site lead the way: their open-glazed facades are accentuated by the bright red roof and side envelopes, while bold monochrome patterns define the interiors. They chose two main materials, shiny metal and glass, to construct the two pavilions. In the limited space available, the choice of a zigzag, diagonal parking area ensures maximum efficiency. This also gives visitors the best view of the cars on display. The façade of the car area is dominated by a simple and elegant floor-to-ceiling glass curtain wall, with alternating transparent and reflective glass forming the two serrated sides of each curtain wall, creating a special visual effect.

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The steel beam of the North Hall is flipped up onto the roof to ensure the smooth flow of the interior space and to signal the structural logic of the building. A red spiral metal staircase is located in the reception wing of the building and is displayed alongside the prototype car through a fully transparent curtain wall, forming a visual focal point for both the interior and exterior. Above the flat, extended roof, several differently positioned light cannons provide natural light to the interior spaces and break up the flatness of the building volume.

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The South Hall is approximately half the size of the North Hall with a zig-zag roof that echoes the language of the façade and re-emphasizes the zig-zag element. The side windows of the roof also provide soft and even diffused light to the interior space, creating the best possible display effect. The same shade of red has been given to both showrooms as a distinctive marker at the intersection of the main roads, reinforcing the visitor’s identification and memory of the market. The first two showrooms in this upgrade program have been completed and are in operation, with the remainder of the renovation expected to be completed by 2023.

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About CLOU ARCHITECTS

CLOU is an award-winning international design studio with multi-disciplinary expertise in master planning, architecture, interiors, and landscapes. The team design their projects on a variety of scales around community connectors and social spaces. At CLOU, a team of experienced architects from China and all over the world enjoy working collaboratively and imaginatively on a wide range of projects. Clients include retail and mixed-use developers, residential investors, hotel operators, and governmental and educational institutions. Across design and implementation, CLOU architects strive to create projects that positively influence the people involved in the making, the immediate and extended environment, and the communities that occupy and inhabit them.

About JAN CLOSTERMANN

Jan Clostermann is the Founding Director of CLOU and an award-winning architect with 20 years of international experience. Following his architectural studies at the Technical University in Berlin, Jan received his Diploma from the Architectural Association in London. Before founding CLOU, Jan collaborated with a Stirling Prize- winning practice, later leading their Shanghai and Beijing offices, and had the opportunity to realize a broad range of projects worldwide. Since his move to Beijing in 2005, he has conceptualized and delivered numerous high-profile mixed-use and retail projects, as well as masterplans and interiors. Jan is also a frequent guest speaker at academic and industry forums. At CLOU he leads a creative team with commercial awareness together with directors Li Lin and Zhang Zhi, to develop bespoke and integrated design solutions, striving to distil innovative architectural typologies that centre around social value.