Tom Wiscombe Architecture, Inc.
INTERWOVEN ARCHITECTURAL PATTERNS
The tradition of complex interwoven materials and patterns in Kinmen architecture also resonates in our project. The envelope design is characterized by three interfering but complimentary patterns- freeform seams, maze-like projections, and cross-grain panels. The simultaneity of these patterns produce a heterogeneous overall effect reminiscent of local Kinmenese brickwork with its distinctive diagonal striping, as well as other unconventional juxtapositions of material scales and orientations seen everywhere on the Island. Our project is conceived of as a contemporary interpretation of that craft and sensibility.
NESTED CRYSTALS AND SECTIONAL SPACES
The building design is based on nesting five dynamically oriented Crystals into an elevated horizontal box. These Crystals push out into the box, as if stretching it, creating serene formal transitions from horizontal to vertical and hard to soft. In this way, the building appears simultaneously as a series of parts and a whole. On the interior, vaulted sectional spaces are created between the Crystals and the loose-fit outer shell of the building. The Departures Hall becomes a sequence of compressed and expanded spaces, creating discrete and memorable spatial experiences for travelers. The vaulted interstitial spaces also create a “stack effect”, where warmer air rises, drawing in cooler air from openings below. This constitutes a sustainable natural ventilation system which will be able to supplement the conventional air-conditioning system and reduce overall energy use from fall through spring.
