Envelope Intervention

An intervention in any of the 5 facades of a building

3
Envelope Intervention

© 100architects

11

Jan

2014

Typology

What is an envelope intervention?
 
It is the type of intervention that takes place in one or several facades of a building, related to the altering of its exterior appearance or function, whether vertical facades or the rooftop, by adding or installing new alienated elements to its existing external envelope.
 
This typology has an immediate impact on the perception of buildings within the cityscape, and therefore a larger impact on the city than interior interventions. However, similarly to the interior interventions, the procedure also responds to a surgical or parasitic intervention, in this case revamping the external attributes of the building, changing completely the way it is perceived and used by citizens and passersby.
 
This tactical intervention is based on the colonization of the existing external surfaces of a building by coating or covering them or even by inserting alien objects, placed on top of them, providing aesthetical and programmatic benefits that can enhance the appearance, in the case of vertical facades, and even the functionality of the envelope, in the case of rooftops.
 
 

Styled Gate by 100architects

 

Sunset Resort by 100architects

© 100architects

© 100architects

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Latest Moments
The most magical place in the world.

The most magical place in the world.

This is an awesome place to hangout with friends and family. They have plenty of activities and sights to see to keep you busy all day. I recommend this place if you enjoy having fun.

Photo by Vicky Ardh

Taken at CREEK PLAY

Nicely designed. And great for IG posts. 😅

Nicely designed. And great for IG posts. 😅

Very nice place to see! Totally worth a visit!!! I didn't expected such a place here. Just grab yourself a coffee and relax and watch the colorful hustle and bustle there.

Photo by Estelle Ling

Taken at URBAN RIPPLE

What a great playground!

What a great playground!

This park is the greatest with a wide variety of play equipment you won't find at other parks. It is awesome. My daughter loved it.

Photo by Paul Lim

Taken at OCTOPUS KINGDOM

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Publications

Latest
Crystal Pool in Archdaily

Crystal Pool in Archdaily

Crystal Pool is a creative public space intervention designed for the grand opening of a new mixed-use complex located in the New Bund, the emerging international business center in Pudong (Shanghai), with the aim of fostering entertainment & social interactions among new visitors, appealing to kids, youngsters & adults alike.

Crystal Pool in Archdaily

Underwater office in Frame

Underwater office in Frame

The design of Club Med's HQ in Shanghai was inspired by a swimming pool

Underwater office in Frame

Crystal Pool in mooool

Crystal Pool in mooool

水晶池是一项富有创造性的公共空间活动，它因位于上海浦东的新兴国际商务中心-晶耀前滩的新综合用途楼的隆重开业而设计。旨在促进新游客之间的娱乐和社交互动，吸引儿童、青少年和成人

Crystal Pool in mooool

100architects

100architects
Octopus Kingdom is a new example of eye-catching urban playscape designed by 100architects on the rooftop of Gateaway One, a newly built shopping mall in Nanshan District, Shenzhen, China. It is a hyper-stimulating urban toy for Nanshan District and for all the visitors of the mall, a colorful intervention that acts as an urban attractor, calling the attention by standing out from its urban surrounding environment. The playscape resembles a small village of sand castles on the seaside, and a gigantic Octopus emerging from the sea and approaching curiously the shore of this paradisiac beach, mesmerized by those colorful sand castles. The 7-meters-high Octopus head, arises as the main IP play object visible from all the surrounding buildings, while its 8 wavy & meandering tentacles are playful courses of challenging activities and obstacles at the ground level, helping children to develop their physical abilities and cognitive skills while learning through play. The 9 colorful sand castles on the beach create a “Play Route” which children can travel crossing from castle to castle, discovering new play opportunities in each of them. The colorful floor, solved with EPDM to absorb impacts while playing, renders a beach, by using different shades of yellow to represent the sand, and different shades of blue to represent the sea. Besides the main Octopus and the sand castles, the playscape is equipped with several sitting features, like the amphitheater for gathering, or stools & tables under a group of marine canopies for adults to rest while kids have fun. The decorative lighting strategy seeking to achieve an impressive night effect, highlights the most recognizable profiles of the project, that is all the edges of the Octopus head, the edges of the sand castles and the edges of the amphitheater. Sparkling dots of light are embedded into the floor for a magical environmental effect, while custom-made algae-shaped lamps are implemented in the perimeter for a holistic and immersive marine experience. Video by This is Lalo Productions
Octopus Kingdom 1
YouTube Video UCyoOpK5SjZlridYZ2AqFUFQ_mSKW5prizEg
The Nest is another example of eye-catching and hyper-stimulating design done by 100architects to improve and beautify the urban public realm, in this case in the city of Chengdu, the capital of the Chinese province of Sichuan. The project belongs to a particular typology of urban public interventions intending to be “urban toys for the city”. Following the studio’s belief that “Play is not only for kids”, 100architects have designed this urban playscape to boost joy and entertainment for kids and adults alike, regardless of their age. A colorful playscape that acts as an urban attractor, calling the attention by standing out from its urban surrounding environment. The narrative of the design of this multifunctional playscape, and hence its name The Nest, is driven and inspired by the idea of a colorful birth, a magical moment of birth of two little chicks in their nest, being accompanied by their mother bird, who is trying to provide them with their first meal. The three birds, as main IP objects, emerge in the center as vertical play structures which can be habitable by kids, climbing up & sliding down, finding in each of them different play opportunities. Surrounding the main birds, the project evolves with a pattern based on circles, which act as platforms for leisure and social interaction and in which a wide range of other functions are implemented in order to enhance the multifunctionality of the playscape. Those surrounding circles provide kids for instance with a sunken sandpit, swings or a trampoline; youngsters with a round ping-pong table and a fitness core; and adults & elders with features such as a Chinese chess table, elderly exercising equipment, and even different sitting components under eggshell-shaped canopies for shadowing. As a way of sewing all the circular components together, a meandering running track is used around them, turning the playscape into a multifunctional circuit of events to be enjoyed by kids & adults alike. To complete this urban intervention in a holistic way, the surrounding landscape is also solved with circular shapes of greenery, bushes, flowers and trees, enclosing the playscape in a safe way for kids to play freely. The colorful floor, solved with EPDM to absorb impacts while playing, renders a wide range of patterns, graphics and interactive games which connect the different spaces and activities of the space. The night effect of the project enhances the meandering shapes of all the eggshells through decorative lighting with flex LED strips on the edges. This includes the eggshells from which the little chicks are arise, and the ones serving as shadowing canopies. For functional lighting, lampposts were designed with smaller eggshell-shaped lamps on top.
The Nest
YouTube Video UCyoOpK5SjZlridYZ2AqFUFQ_wqyZOWfdQuI
This video is a deep jump inside the 100architects team, their motivations, the design process, purpose and dreams. 2021 is just starting, and the year of the OX is received by the 100 team composed by 14 young creative minds from a diverse background and multiple nationalities. You can get to know more about 100architects team by watching this video! we hope you enjoy it!
100architects presenting their recently built project Pegasus Trail in Chongqing.
YouTube Video UCyoOpK5SjZlridYZ2AqFUFQ_EFkx76fOFkY
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