Project A.N. --- Part 4

4. Description of the most salient solution

4.1. The making of the front façade


Fig. 4.1 Plan, section, and the elevation of the fragment of the front façade


The principle of design for the front facade is based on the “Second Skin”. It is very sustainable because of its optimal effects of climatic control and energy saving. Normally, these are usually the reason why “Second Skin” façade is adapted in the building design. However, in this hotel design, the optimal climatic control and energy saving are the additional advantage for the maintenance of the building rather than the motivation for the design. According to the program the front façade should reflect the green streetscape to create a fake opening on the continuous solid facades along the street. It also expresses a hint that there is an inner garden on the back side of the building. Because the front façade is facing a busy street, the good noise insulation is also very important for the interior space. Based on these ideas, I decided to design a “Second Skin” for the front façade because its reflecting glass of outer skin can also used as the insulation against the noise from the street. Moreover, the space between 2 skins can be used as balcony. The double-layered structure of the façade creates a bamboo forest-like artificial nature which makes the outer skin and the interior space more organic and vivid. The introduction of the outer skin and its special effect are described as follows:

I. Material of the outer skin --- SPYMIRROR
SPYMIRROR is a single side coated one way mirror which is used as partition between a supervised and an observation area. The reflection of the coated side is higher than for the glass side. Thus the observer can look clearly into a bright illuminated area (at least lighting ratio between the areas 1:5), while for the observant the partition acts as a mirror.



Fig 4.2 SPYMIRROR looked from exterior and interior


II. Special effect --- 2 different looks during day and night
During daytime the exterior is brighter than interior, so the scene outside is reflected on the SPYMIRROR. At night the interior space is much lighter than outside, and the structure with bamboo-like pattern is shown to the outside.



Fig 4.3 The special effect of the SPYMIRROR during day and night