HEMU HOLIDAY INN RESORT

25.000 SQM___HEMU, CHINA

TIMELESS WILDERNESS, INVITING WARMTH

How to create the premises for one of the world’s most recognizable hospitality brands to insert itself organically in a timeless landscape dotted with dispersed log cabins and artifacts of traditional nomadic lifestlyle? Could the solution inherently convey the hospitality brand’s design ethos of “inviting warmth” while bringing about new vital energies in this remote location ?

Featuring a striking modern design that references the familiar roof lines of traditional local villages, the architectural approach distributes almost 200 rooms in two distinct wings connected with a diamond-shaped lobby.

In this austere wilderness, the usage of warm local materials combined with a spatial design that maximizes natural light while distributing accommodation and public functions into smaller, village-like pavilions is crucial in creating a signature Holiday Inn experience that is warm, inviting, and full of human energy.

An integrated convention center with facilities for 400 guests ensures that the hotel becomes a magnet for activities and events during all seasons.

CREDITS: NDA 

CREATIVE OFFICE HUB

45.000 SQM___________________________FUZHOU, CHINA

SPEARHEADING THE MILLENIAL WORKFORCE REVOLUTION

8 years after winning an international competition for the creation of a brand-new 24h active lifestyle hub in the southern Chinese metropolis of Fuzhou, the two buildings are quickly positioning themselves as intrepid urban landmarks. Can the office hub live up to its mission of spearheading the millennial workforce generation shift?

This project aims to become an important milestone in the evolution of China's creative office buildings, not only by adapting to, but indeed by spearheading the latest trends in working habits that are brought about by the millennial generation shift. It responds to foreseeable future market needs by creating a green working environment that stimulates creativity and builds up sustainable and healthy communities.

The program is distributed around indoor and outdoor spaces that are designed for interaction: featuring a large outdoor patio, the scheme invites collaboration and community building on the extensive terraces - that can be used for impromptu meetings or for large corporate events. F&B and commercial spaces on the lower floors respond to all requests of the millennial workforce, from creative working spaces to easily accessible facilities such as cafes, banks, or gyms.                                                               

CREDITS: NDA 

SKI CENTERS & FACILITIES

12.000 SQM____HEMU, CHINA

BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH

How to create meaningful architecture in one of China’s most pristine alpine environments, a land where a unique building tradition Intertwines with natural wonders, forgotten mysteries and unexpected discoveries? How to define a genuine “mountain resort DNA” that would see the massive buildings fitting the local ambition to become one of the world’s largest ski resorts seamlessly integrate into the cultural and natural landscapes?

This project studies the local tradition of mountain log cabins to create an architecture that redistributes massive programs into clusters of interconnected pavilions that blend seamlessly into the magnificent landscapes that surround them. Contemporary building materials echo the traditional textures evolved through centuries of semi-nomadic lifestyle, while the iconic cantilevered roofs become striking, yet authentic highlights that define this resort’s unique DNA.                                                        

CREDITS: NDA 

INDOOR SNOW PARK & RESORT

15,000 SQM_____TIANJIN, CHINA

THE ULTIMATE MOUNTAIN LIFESTYLE EXPERIENCES IN THE WORLD. IN ONE WEEKEND. AND IN ONE PLACE.

How to create an iconic snow-themed design that can be replicated throughout the world's largest country and become an instantly recognizable "built trade mark" ?

This indoor snow park prototype features a bold, iconic design that emerges out of a combination of snow-themed elements - a "frozen stream" wrapped around a contemporary interpretation of a snow-covered village.                                      

CREDITS: NDA 

JW MARRIOT CONVENTION HOTEL

40.000 SQM____KUNMING, CHINA

A STORY OF HERITAGE AND GLORY

How to build upon an outstanding story of heritage and glory, ensuring that the glorious past of a long-standing urban icon will be matched by an even more brilliant future?

The proposal for this 250 room renovation project is based on unveiling Kunming’s past, present and future on only one, unique and iconic location. The past, represented by a 1956 legendary building restored to its former glory (the south wing); the present, materialized by an icon from the “reform and opening up era” brought back in contemporary form (the north wing); and a garden conservatory preserving the most precious and unique flowers of Kunming - a symbol for the city’s sustainable urban future.

All these elements are brought together by a “Cloud Bridge”: starting as a pure functional element ensuring smooth connectivity between the lobby spaces of the north and south wings, it then becomes an iconic observation platform bringing guests on top of the garden conservatory.

A worthy symbol of the entire project - a bridge across times, and a bridge across cultures.                                     

CREDITS: NDA 

A CLOUD OF WHITE REEDS

24,000 SQM______________VI THANH, VIETNAM

IMMERSED INTO THE MEKONG LANDSCAPE

How to design an iconic hotel in the middle of a dynamic rurban community that is quickly discovering - and enthusiastically embracing - the modern urbanites’ passion for leisure, glam, and unique experiences?

DIC Star Hotel takes advantage of its fortuitous location along the riverfront to introduce a game-changing concept to the province of Hoa Giang: a modern leisure and lifestyle hub, combining 4 stars standard accommodation with a massive 1000 guests events hall and a variety of complementary commercial and F&B spaces.

The architectural treatment aims to provide guests with the compelling experience of living in a unique, suspended “white reeds cloud”, floating above the Mekong landscape – the same landscape that presents designers with characteristic elements ready to be reinterpreted in a contemporary language: tropical tree trunks, lotus ponds, mangroves and river plants.

CREDITS: NDA 

CON DAO DIC STAR HOTEL

20,000 SQM_CON DAO, VIETNAM

INHABITING THE POSTCARD

How to create a hotel capable of matching its breath-taking, postcard-perfect settings within the constraints of 3 stars budget? How to provide guests with different experiences that would make them come back time and time again?

Inspired by the pointillist seascapes of the late 19th century, this project makes “living inside the postcard” a dream come true. “Inhabitable pixels” cluster together, enhancing the natural scenery and allowing guests to immerse into it, thoroughly and intimately.

To achieve all this within a tight budget, prefab modules are employed to allow for small, yet important changes in unit design - translating into different experiences at feasible costs.

Replete with life and activities, the pixels come together to create an ever-changing, animated seascape.

CREDITS: NDA 

MARINA TOWERS & OVERWATER VILLAS

600,000 SQM____NHA TRANG, VIETNAM

AN ECOSYSTEM TO ANCHOR AN ICON

How to insert 600,000 sqm of tourism-oriented functions in a pristine bay with crystal-clear waters and teeming coral reefs? Can architecture be highly iconic yet at the same time blend in naturally with its breath-taking surroundings?

This project uses a “green anchor” strategy that sees over 70,000 of landscaped public areas extend like roots towards the ocean waters and create an intermediary ecosystem between the marine world and the upward silhouettes of the towers - mirroring the skies and blending into them.

CREDITS: NDA 

GUISHAN ISLAND TOURISM COMPLEX

32.000 SQM___________ZHUHAI, CHINA

AN ISLAND IN A BUILDING

Can a mere architecture project transform a sleepy way station town into an active, 24/7 island hopping hub? Could the quintessence of the island’s spirit be captured -and displayed- in order to re-invigorate the island’s identity and re-brand its image?    

Organized in terraced clusters that echo the layouts of the local fishing village communities, “the fishermen's pods” collect and exhibit the best features of the Guishan Island, in one iconic and identity-giving lifestyle center: an island in a building.

CREDITS: NDA 

CLOUD MANSIONS

20,000 SQM______________KUNMING, CHINA

BOUTIQUE CLUSTERS OF TRADITION

How to design the perfect urban get-away, in the middle of a metroplitan park? Could the urbanites’ desire for escapism become the premise of a revealing cultural journey to the very soul of the province?

Inspired by the traditional mountain village clusters that brought world-wide fame to the province of Yunnan, this project envisions a game-changing concept for the hospitality business: a 100-room boutique hotel in which each guest would get the feeling of living in their private, tailored mansion.. in-between lush mountain gardens - and above the clouds and the villages of Yunnan.

CREDITS: NDA 

XIAOMEISHA BEACH PARK MASTERPLAN

55 HA______________SHENZHEN, CHINA

STREAMS OF ENERGIES

How to revamp China’s first beach resort into a contemporary hotspot for iconic waterfront activities? Could this innovative program be translated into a unique design that would set this destination apart from the plethora of indistinct beachfronts all around the world?

This project looks back to the site’s geological history to unearth a heritage of tectonic disruptions, turning it into the unifying theme behind this 55ha beach park - a symbol for the site’s past, but also for its dynamic future filled with energetic and thrilling activities.

These iconic “lava flows” help coagulate remote attractions into a coherent whole, leading visitors to the volcano-shaped theater to discover the true origins of the site. In the process - forging a strong, unique identity for the entire beach park.

CREDITS: NDA 

SANJIAO ISLAND ECO RESORT

85 HA_________ZHUHAI, CHINA

GREEN IMMERSIONS

How to define an architecture able to provide a strong identity to China’s first uninhabited island meant to be developed solely for tourism purposes? How to integrate 100,000 sqm of built area within the island’s pristine environment?

Various sustainable architectural strategies are deployed in this project to create a panoply of compelling designs that all revolve around an underlying ecological theme - allowing guests to embark on a journey of immersive exploration and active educament. In the process, creating a nation-wide model for ecological tourism development.

CREDITS: NDA 

CRYSTAL BAY MASTER PLAN

400,000 SQM_____NHA TRANG, VIETNAM

FROM URBAN BLOCKS, TO CORAL REEFS

How to create a waterfront district that can put a city on the map of instantly recognizable, world-famous tourism destinations?

With an iconic design that conjures images of local coral formations  and marine life, Crystal Bay is a massive cultural and entertainment district that is shaped through a progressive shift in the urban texture: from urban blocks, to coral reefs.

CREDITS: NDA 

HAISHITAN RESORT AND COMMERCIALS

150.000 SQM___WENCHANG, CHINA

HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT

Can the ages-old fascination of the Chinese with bizarrely-shaped rocks inform the design of a themed resort area developed around  a scenic coastal stonepark?

This complex project manipulates the quintessential attributes of the Chinese "GongShi" rocks - thinness, openness, perforations, pleats - to carve out fluid, sculptural spaces that naturally morph around the unique topography of the site.

CREDITS: NDA 

INNOVATION PARK HOTEL & RESORT

10 HA_______________SANYA, CHINA

SHELTERED FLUIDITY

How to make a new resort stand out from a vast yet generic crowd? Could activity and spatial flows be osmotically intertwined in order to provide guests with 24/7 active leisure and entertainment? What kind of viable residential/leisure hybrids could be derived from such an undertaking.?

Informed by the climatic particularities of Sanya, this proposal employs liquid landscape formations to shelter fluid and ambiguous spaces that allow for activities to osmotically and reversibly overlap, fuse, disperse and disconnect.  

CREDITS: NDA

JINHAI LAKE TOURIST CENTER

25.0000 SQM__BEIJING, CHINA

SYMBIOTIC SHAPE-SHIFTING

How to organically integrate 24.000sqm into a breathtaking lakeshore? What happens when blue meets green? Will the two elements borrow each other’s characteristics, eventually engaging in a symbiotic shape-shifting process?

This project investigates the prospects of employing continuous, fluid lines in order to organically integrate a massive program into a shape-shifting landscape.

CREDITS: NDA

LUXURY RESIDENCES ON EMINESCU STREET

7.500 SQM___________BUCURESTI, ROMANIA

WHEN ONE IDENTITY IS NOT ENOUGH

How to stack different style living units on top of each other, in a diffuse historical context?

During three years of laborious detailing and extensive revisions, this constructed project proved to be a hands-on opportunity for understanding the complexity of the construction process, from the detailing of interior spaces to the facade studies for the exterior envelope.

CREDITS: DSBA

FELICITY VILLAGE MASTERPLAN

85.000 SQM___BIEN HOA, VIETNAM

PRIVATE GARDENS IN THE SKY

How to create a brand new commercial & residential district meant to become the most luxurious address in a small yet vibrant city of Vietnam?

This project re-interprets the Vietnamese residential patterns that incorporate tropical sustainability and outdoor living to create “cloud gardens” for all residential units. The definition of a simple, yet iconic vocabulary of tropical wood and green elements creates a strong identity for the entire district.

CREDITS: NDA 

TRANSILVANIA BANK HQ IN BUCHAREST 

8.000 SQM______BUCURESTI, ROMANIA

TURNING RESTRICTIONS INTO OPPORTUNITIES

How to conceive the constructive details for a building set to become a benchmark for the contemporary architecture of the Romanian capital?

This constructed project proved to be an invaluable opportunity for the understanding of the relevant metal construction techniques employed in the design of contemporary buildings.

CREDITS: DSBA

HUISHANG BANK HEADQUARTERS IN HEFEI

175.000 SQM________________HEFEI, CHINA

FROM VILLAGES OF COMMUNITIES, TO TOWERS OF NEIGHBORHOODS

How to design a bank that is in line with the latest trends in a rapidly-changing industry? Could the bank organically evolve from a hectic place you just hurry-to-get-done-with into an exciting venue you just want-to-hang-out-in? And could a history of small local banks joining forces become a corporation’s spatial trade-mark?

This project is about mountains, villages and pine trees. And about a perfect corporate branding mix that transforms them into the ultimate expression of the unique spirit of a Chinese province: a harmonizing core where various forces converge towards a greater goal.

CREDITS: NDA

EC SAILING RESORT & COMMERCIALS

90.000 SQM___________FUZHOU, CHINA

HYBRIDS OF PAST AND FUTURE

Can paradoxical, yet viable identities be created by combining a time-honored inward-looking typology with a world-acclaimed outward-looking spirit? Can this rediscovered DNA breed hybrids able to completely revamp a remote area into a popular 24h-active destination?

This project paradoxically employs introversive typologies in an extroversive way, without losing the introspective qualities of its prototype. In the process, time-tested genotypes are exposed, and brand new identities created.

CREDITS: NDA 

EC SAILING RESORT & COMMERCIALS

90.000 SQM___________FUZHOU, CHINA

DYNAMISM. ENGINEERED.

Can a visually striking facade concept developed during competition stage successfully pass the scrupulous constraints of the design development stage?

Informed by the strong local shipbuilding tradition, an innovative aluminium fins louver system is devised.  Seen from outside, these powerful vertical elements enrich and emphasize the dynamic movement of the facades; for the users of the buildings, they frame amazing views of rivers and mountains.                                                                          

An endless flow of framed instants of life.

CREDITS: NDA 

SAIL IN THE BREEZE

500 SQM______________DANZHOU, CHINA

UNDERSTATED LUXURY

How to create a yacht club worthy of one of China’s most ambitious property development - one of the iconic centerpieces of a 24 bilion-dollars, 400 hectares investment? Can a compact, pavilion-sized building become a community landmark that promotes an active, sailing lifestyle to property owners and tourists alike?

With the elegant shape its distinctive roof lines - inspired by the soft meandering of boat sails gently touched by the ocean breeze - the yacht club becomes an organic icon of its environs.

A striking marine manifesto of understated luxury.

CREDITS: NDA 

EAST PORT YACHT CLUB & MARINA

4.500 SQM_____DALIAN, CHINA

FROM LANDSCAPING TO LANDSCRAPING

When asked to envisage a landmark object caught between a sci-fi enacted utopia (Coop Himmelbau TM) and a lavish venetian pastiche, how to avoid going for a design affected by its schizophrenic environment?

Trapped between two schizophrenic heterotopias, the new design tries to find a more authentic identity by scraping the shoreline.

CREDITS: NDA

YUNYANG YACHT CLUB AND MARINA

5.500 SQM________YUNYANG, CHINA

HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT

Is it possible for landmark architecture to fully dissipate into its surroundings, without losing its inherent iconic features? Can a building actually help underline and enhance the natural features of its site instead of simply altering them?

This currently under-construction yacht club project in Central China chameleonically blends into its breathtaking surroundings by mimicking the finest features of its habitat, then successfully cloaking itself into the terraced topography of the site.

CREDITS: NDA 

RAYCOM YACHT CLUB IN HAITANG BAY

1.250 SQM_____________SANYA, CHINA

A SHORE THAT FLOWS INTO THE OCEAN

How to design a yacht club that draws on two main concepts defining tropical architecture in marine environments: the organic flow of tropical shores into the sea, and the floating structures that bring people closer to the water element?

Echoing the floating architectures found throughout East Asia, the proposal envisages a “floating paradise”, a unique and luxurious space separated, physically and conceptually alike, from the everyday life.

The yacht club is designed as a bridge that flows organically from the seashore, then spans above the infinity pool, bringing the visitors to a higher observation point, from which they can better appreciate the spectacle of the marina.

CREDITS: NDA

EAST PORT YACHT CLUB & MARINA

5.500 SQM_____DALIAN, CHINA

SIMPLY SOPHISTICATED

In an age when “more and more, more is more”, can simple-shaped architectural volumes still break ground when it comes to spatial creativity and landmark generation?

Shaped as a pure crescent shape, this under-construction yacht club proves this point by employing non-sophisticated geometries in order to create sophisticated spatial experiences. Open for sophisticated people from mid-2015.

CREDITS: NDA

LINGSHAN BAY YACHT CLUB & MARINA

15.0000 SQM________QINGDAO, CHINA

THE SPAN THAT BINDS

The bridge is one of mankind’s simplest, most basic structures: it connects point A with point B.

It can also connect people, cultures, and lifestyles.

Following the design principles of a bridge, the yacht club basically acts as a functional strip of the development.

While hosting high-end activities, it facilitates visitor movement despite the differences in site elevations: the access and exhibition halls on the hills, the waterfront boardwalks, the marina, the island pavilions on the artificial lake: all are conveniently connected by the “long span” of this yacht club.

CREDITS: NDA

BEIHAI OCEAN GATE MASTER PLAN

300 HA____________BEIHAI, CHINA

WATERFRONT, ICON, IDENTITY

How to develop 300ha of outdated port infrastructure and its neighbouring areas into a prime tourism gateway along the maritime silk route?  Could the design help Beihai’s city brand “take off” on the international tourism stage?

NDA envisions a city that balances the needs of both tourists and residents by designing it along an innovative and interactive industry chain that combines cruising and entertainment, culture and heritage tourism, ecologic business and education.

CREDITS: NDA 

SUNRAY HARBOR MASTERPLAN

40 HA___________SANYA, CHINA

THE STRUCTURAL URBAN JUNGLE

How to develop one of Sanya’s most prominent locations into a world-class lifestyle destination that offers unique and iconic experiences to its visitors? How to design “The Postcard of Sanya”, the one place that no single tourist can miss?

Inspired by the city’s pronounced tropical climate, The Dragonlink becomes an iconic, yet ecological active spine that integrates a plethora of unique activities and scenarios, culminating with a cantilevered scenic platform that aims to become Sanya’s global touristic brand.

CREDITS: NDA 

DALIAN AEROPOLIS URBAN DESIGN

30 SQKM___________DALIAN, CHINA

PROJECT: RELOADED

When an already-won urban planning competition project is shortlisted for the wan awards, it requires an instant face-lift. How to condense 200 pages of project information in only 5 brief, compelling pages? How to design the human-scale atmosphere that was not previously considered in the initial submission?

This endeavor is about infusing an old project with new life...

CREDITS: NDA

VIETNAM NATIONAL EXHIBITION CENTER

130 HA_______________HANOI, VIETNAM

CHANNELING FLOWS INTO BUILT FORM

Can architecture become a complex, yet direct function of activity flows? Could buildings be moulded out by giving a physical shape to this powerful, yet ethereal dynamics of functions, flows and confluences? 

The complex program of this flagship exhibition center is modelled along a spine-like activity concourse that generates and distributes flows. At their main point of confluence, these flows converge to create an expressive landmark of the city - and a symbol for the entire country.                                       

CREDITS: NDA 

LUHUITOU PLAZA TOURIST CENTER

23.000 SQM________SANYA, CHINA

REDEFINING GLOCAL ARCHITECTURE IN SANYA

How to design a transportation gateway to China’s premier holiday destination? How to incorporate, integrate and harmonize sustainable design guidelines that would help enhance and activate architecture in a tropical climate?

Could all these inputs result in a glocal architecture that combines Sanya’s pride of its tradition with its aim to become a global destination?

CREDITS: NDA

TAICHUNG CITY CULTURAL CENTER

65.0000 SQM___TAICHUNG, TAIWAN

A WHIRLWIND OF ENERGIES

How to create a built metaphor for a culture defined by its unique ability to constantly merge and integrate diverse, heterogeneous and even antagonistic influences in an effervescent and innovative melting pot?

Following the conceptual framework of this dynamic whirlwind of coalescing energies, the vortex project brings together art and books, counting on the creative clash of the two for giving birth to new energies, situations and scenarios.

CREDITS: NDA

SANYA OCEAN MUSEUM & RESEARCH INSTITUTE

45.0000 SQM_____SANYA, CHINA

STAGING EXPERIENCES, LOOPING ACTIVITIES

How to provide Sanya with a brand-new comprehensive and immersive museum experience, that would help the southern metropolis strengthen its position as a global holiday destination?

Integrating separate cultural functions into a continuous activity loop, this competition proposal investigates how architects can stage valuable, compelling and empowering information experiences for the general public.

CREDITS: NDA

SILVER LAKE CULTURAL CENTER

4.500 SQM______FUYANG, CHINA

WEAVING VOIDS, KNOTTING SPACES

What if, middle way through the planning process, you would end up with a collection of spatial voids instead of a coherent building block? Could the voids actually be woven into a mesh of spaces?

This project searches the answers to these questions by investigating a Chinese traditional weaving technique.

CREDITS: BNL