Location: Jinhua, China.

Architect: SAKO architects.

The CUBE TUBE project in Jinhua, Zhejiang Province consists of an office building and a restaurant building designed to act as a landmark in the new Economic Development Zone. The buildings were designed to contrast with the surrounding Tei Kanmuri style buildings, with the CUBE being a 32-meter square office building and the TUBE being a 55-meter square restaurant building. The client requested individual working areas, good natural lighting, and airiness in the central part of the building, which conflicted with general forms. To achieve this, corridors were designed to cut the central building into parts, with terraces installed on each side to bring in wind and light. The terraces were placed randomly to create a complex and rich pattern in the CUBE. The outside walls of the CUBE were covered in highly polished stainless steel, while the TUBE used transparent, grey, and black colors of glass. The buildings were designed with a square module of 550mm a side for furniture, fittings, surfaces, and outdoor facilities, which connects everyone related and plays the role of a common language. Overall, the CUBE TUBE project successfully created a landmark facility in the new Economic Development Zone.

Photo credit: Misae HIROMATSU.