Make Architects completed the Weihai Pavilion in the spring of 2012 to serve as an information hub and reception area for a new residential development on the island. The pavilion was the first to be constructed on the island and leads visitors on a slowly unfolding journey of discovery. Once inside, the visitors are free to wander through a series of spaces in which the views to the ocean are gradually revealed. The pavilion is divided into two main spaces and separated by a spine wall clad in warm honey-colored bamboo. All the materials otherwise were sourced locally in Weihai.
As it is a seaside development, the pavilion was designed to engage with the ocean and takes full advantage of the views with a curved glass wall. Oriented so that the majority of the glazing faces south-east and the ocean, this crescent shaped pavilion minimizes exposure to the hot, western, afternoon sun. Those facades that are oriented in the sun’s path are highly insulated to minimize energy loss. Meanwhile, a large overhanging roof sails out over the glass wall to provide shade. In addition to the solar passive strategies, the building makes use of radiant floor heating and cooling along with a concrete floor slab to act as thermal mass and natural ventilation when the weather is conducive.
The Weihai Pavilion is Make Architect’s first project to be completed in China and the firm has five other projects under construction right now.
Images ©Shu He Architectural Photography Studio
