Pan
Shiyi`s statement that "SOHO is here to stay" might seem a bit too adamant. Although
we attended the recent Jian Wai SOHO opening with high hopes, in the end it is
not we but the market that will decide whether or not SOHO truly is "here to stay".
Since SOHO is still on the march though, constantly moving ahead and developing,
perhaps a more appropriate catch-phrase would be: "Forever SOHO, Forever Community".
This journalist was invited to attend a reception held on June 2nd at the Jian Wai SOHO showroom. The CEO of Redstone Group, Pan Shiyi, was on hand to make a speech and Riken Yamamoto, the architect who designed Jian Wai SOHO, spoke the guests about his design philosophy. Among the roughly 300 guests in attendance were ambassadors, presidents of Beijing`s large real estate companies, and luminaries from a variety of other fields.
Pan Shiyi: It`s much more than just "window-dressing"
Jian Wai SOHO`s principal designer is the well-known Japanese architect Riken Yamamoto. Some critics have accused Pan Shiyi of using a foreign designer to hype the project, while others have even hinted that there is something slightly "fraudulent" about the idea of using a foreign designer as fancy "window dressing" (the Chinese phrase "Placing a sheep`s head in the window of a store that sells dog meat" is perhaps the more piquant translation -Ed). Unperturbed, Pan Shiyi answers this criticism by explaining that the only standard he uses when choosing an architect is whether an architect`s designs are good or not. During the public bidding process for the Jian Wai SOHO project, Riken Yamamoto was chosen because the design blueprint he submitted was simply the best expression of what Pan Shiyi, the developer, was looking for. Yamamoto has been the principal architect in charge of the Jian Wai SOHO project, taking the lead from inception to completion.
Houses Angled a Slight 30 Degrees to the East
In the past, houses were built on a straight north-south axis, in order to maximize the natural sunlight from the south. The eastern and western sides of buildings were left slightly in the shade, while the north face was left completely without natural light. The buildings of Jian Wai SOHO, however, have been cleverly designed at a slight angle and their positions staggered so that it is the corners of the buildings, rather than the sides, that face due north, south, east and west. The north corner of each floor is occupied by elevators and a communal sitting room; each of the other corners is occupied by a spacious corner unit. There are only three households on each floor, which gives each household has a full corner to itself. This design also guarantees that each unit receives ample sunshine from morning to evening, maximizing the hours of available sunlight.
As Riken Yamamoto explained to the guests in attendance: "There is no appreciable difference in sunlight illumination between a building facing due south, and one angled 35 degrees or less to the east. However, in the case of a building facing due south, the north side remains in perpetual darkness. Shifting the building slightly east - 35 degrees or less - from a direct southern exposure changes the angles of the corners of the building, which means that all sides of the building can enjoy abundant natural light. Studies have shown that buildings angled 30 degrees to the east enjoy the same number of sunshine hours as buildings that face due south, while avoiding sight obstruction. Furthermore, if we stagger the placement of the buildings, we can minimize the distance between buildings while guaranteeing that neighbors will not have to look onto one another`s windows, preserving residents` right to privacy.
So there you have it: Within this slight 30 degree angle to the east lies the spirit, the magic, of Jian Wai SOHO.
This journalist was invited to attend a reception held on June 2nd at the Jian Wai SOHO showroom. The CEO of Redstone Group, Pan Shiyi, was on hand to make a speech and Riken Yamamoto, the architect who designed Jian Wai SOHO, spoke the guests about his design philosophy. Among the roughly 300 guests in attendance were ambassadors, presidents of Beijing`s large real estate companies, and luminaries from a variety of other fields.
Pan Shiyi: It`s much more than just "window-dressing"
Jian Wai SOHO`s principal designer is the well-known Japanese architect Riken Yamamoto. Some critics have accused Pan Shiyi of using a foreign designer to hype the project, while others have even hinted that there is something slightly "fraudulent" about the idea of using a foreign designer as fancy "window dressing" (the Chinese phrase "Placing a sheep`s head in the window of a store that sells dog meat" is perhaps the more piquant translation -Ed). Unperturbed, Pan Shiyi answers this criticism by explaining that the only standard he uses when choosing an architect is whether an architect`s designs are good or not. During the public bidding process for the Jian Wai SOHO project, Riken Yamamoto was chosen because the design blueprint he submitted was simply the best expression of what Pan Shiyi, the developer, was looking for. Yamamoto has been the principal architect in charge of the Jian Wai SOHO project, taking the lead from inception to completion.
Houses Angled a Slight 30 Degrees to the East
In the past, houses were built on a straight north-south axis, in order to maximize the natural sunlight from the south. The eastern and western sides of buildings were left slightly in the shade, while the north face was left completely without natural light. The buildings of Jian Wai SOHO, however, have been cleverly designed at a slight angle and their positions staggered so that it is the corners of the buildings, rather than the sides, that face due north, south, east and west. The north corner of each floor is occupied by elevators and a communal sitting room; each of the other corners is occupied by a spacious corner unit. There are only three households on each floor, which gives each household has a full corner to itself. This design also guarantees that each unit receives ample sunshine from morning to evening, maximizing the hours of available sunlight.
As Riken Yamamoto explained to the guests in attendance: "There is no appreciable difference in sunlight illumination between a building facing due south, and one angled 35 degrees or less to the east. However, in the case of a building facing due south, the north side remains in perpetual darkness. Shifting the building slightly east - 35 degrees or less - from a direct southern exposure changes the angles of the corners of the building, which means that all sides of the building can enjoy abundant natural light. Studies have shown that buildings angled 30 degrees to the east enjoy the same number of sunshine hours as buildings that face due south, while avoiding sight obstruction. Furthermore, if we stagger the placement of the buildings, we can minimize the distance between buildings while guaranteeing that neighbors will not have to look onto one another`s windows, preserving residents` right to privacy.
So there you have it: Within this slight 30 degree angle to the east lies the spirit, the magic, of Jian Wai SOHO.
