XJTLU 2015-16 FYP Folio Bian Zhifan

Final Year Project Portfolio
Places of Transition | Shanghai Baoshan | 2015-2016
Bian Zhifan
ID Number: 1202002
Tutors: Claudia Westermann & Aleksandra Raonic
Xi'an Jiaotong Liverpool University

Final Year Project Portfolio
Places of Transition | Shanghai Baoshan | 2015-2016
Bian Zhifan
ID Number: 1202002
Tutors: Claudia Westermann & Aleksandra Raonic
Xi'an Jiaotong Liverpool University

Content
Site analysis
Yangtze River
Research on navigation
Project description
Concept
Plan
Section
Perspectives
Elevation
Structure and materiality
Concept development
1 - 4
5 - 8
9 - 12
13 - 18
19 - 26
27 - 30
31 - 35
36 - 39
40 - 44
45 - 47
48 - 50
Appendix
Improved works
Oiginal posters
51 - 59
60 - 65
Within the chaos, are we beginning to recognize that there is a kind of
hidden order?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Yoshinobu Ashihara

The East Sea
Site
Functions
The Site is located at Baoshan
District, the north of Shanghai.
Baoshan as the entrance of
Shanghai consists of various
functions, such as steel
industry, and has history of anti-
Japanese War. The site, facing
to Yangtze River, is near a park
and residential area.
Gas-turbine Power Plant
Industrial Wharf
Warehouse for icon
Steel Factories
Linjiang Park
Site
International Terminal
Residential area
Paotaiwan Wetland Park
1

Site
activities, views & destinations
Chaotic movements exist in
Shanghai for centuries. Fast transition
happens near the site along with the
movement. The area was transformed
from agricultural land to industry and
back to residential and green space.
The expansion of the Cruise Port
nearby offers opportunities to rethink
Baoshan as a transition point. It is the
entrance and departure to and from
Shanghai, Chongming Island and
the sea. On the site, there is also a
transition from land to water, from solid
to fluid.
Diverse activities happen on the
site. Travellers, tourists and local
residents come to the site with various
purposes, along with different traces
of movement and different staying
time. On the site, the view keeps
changing. The site is half on land and
half on the Yangtze River. Many tourists
coming from the center of Shanghai
or other province on weekends. The
International Terminal at the east of
the site provides the sailing route to
Korea, Japan and southeast Asian as
well.
3

Research
water system & transportation
The site has its special location
at the estuary of Yangtze River.
After the Treaty of Nanjing, 1840,
Shanghai was opened as the
first five treaty ports of China.
Western goods were transported
to Shanghai and the Jiangnan
Region via the long-term
developed water system.
Wuhan
Nanjing
Shanghai
Tibet Plateau
Chongqing
Yichang
Yibing
Based on the water system, western goods could be transported to the inland of China
regardless of the changes of terrain. It was used to be the most efficient transportation
approach. Several big cities, Shanghai, Nanjing, Wuhan, Chongqing, were formed and
grew along the Yangtze River.
5

Yangtze River
Sailing history
The transportation approach
on Yangtze River started two
thousand years ago, from raft
to engine powered ship, from
food transportation, river war
to passenger transportation
and trade.
7

Navigation
History
Raft
Polaris
475
BC
Canoe
Plank-built Boat
221
BC
Sinan
Windsurfing Steering Control Separate Cabin
Castle on Boat
202
BC 220 618 907
960
Wheel Propeller Ship
Sha Ship
Steamship
Bao Ship Engine Powered Ship
Magnetic Needle Marine Compass
Compass
Qianxing Board Nautical Map Sextant
12
79
13
68
16
44
17
30
18
02
Current Ships
20 16
1
2
1. The sextant priciple
2. The sextant model
3. Concept drawing
Imitate the sailing
feeling on the
ocean. Circulation is
navigated inside the
Warring State Han Dynasty Tang Dynasty Song Dynasty Ming Dynasty Western exploration (Marco Polo)
11
building.
3
12

Navigation Building Navigation museum & Terminal
Brief investigates possibilities for new concepts for places of transition. Transition usually suggest movement and
are associated with passagers, but also with boundaries and in-between spaces. The brief points to explore the
potential of the in-between space, the third space, and to link the relationship between arrival and departure.
Shanghai as the International metropolis, owning compelling historical scenery of passengers and migrants, fuzzy
routes and chaotic movements. The project aims to respond to the transitional place of Shanghai. How to make it
possible that spaces of the building were able to record all travellers, all their thoughts, hopes and dreams, and all
scenes of people coming and going? How could we address different but coexisting concepts of time -- fast time
and slow time, waiting time, travelling time, flowing time, infinitely?
How to feel time: write
How to escape time: walk
How to release time: breathe
How to travel in time: experience
13 14

Project description
N
Site plan
0 5 10 20 50
Model photos
1. Wall & navigation
2. Site model
3. Circulation
Site model
Starting from navigation, the project aims
to turn the architecture to a navigation
machine. The building explains the history in
the museum and navigate people to imagine
the future. The building works on navigation
from two aspects, exterior and interior. It
navigates objects outside it or distant from it
to determine the location. In addition, from
interior, people’s walking is navigated inside
the building. Two circulations in the navigation
museum and terminal are guided through
specific architectural elements, such as walls
and openings. According to the principle of
sextant, spaces are divided and rearranged
to fit program requirements. The architecture
itself can inspire visitors’ aesthetic experience
based on their daily experience.
As there is an original rhythm on the site, the
building’s construction establishes its own
rhythm while taking replace of old rhythm. It
creates the aesthetic experience and forms
a new built environment instead. However,
the building respects the context to a large
extent. Some walls decline to the ground level
as the landscape or furniture to navigate
people from exterior, which merges with the
natural environment.
15 16

Transition
Past - Future
Arrival - Depature
Stay - Go through
Navigation Museum
14
It recalls people of the sailing memory and leads
them to the future. Through the development of
transportation, shipping may be taken replaced
in the future. The museum attempts to imitate the
feeling of travelling on the water.
Manmen Port
Baozhen Port
Terminal
At the entrance of Shanghai, the estuary of
Yangtze River, the terminal can provide both
traveling to Chongming Island and passenger
Existing route
Travelling route
transportation in the future. Services are provided
in the terminal.
17
18

Sextant principle
Transform the sextant into architectural navigation device
Sextant principle
Transform the sextant into architectural navigation device
The sextant uses fixed and moved mirror to help determine the
solar altitude. Through recording its movement, the movement
of rocker arm swing in a large angle to find the general point in
The end of rocker arm represents people's movement which
is led by the movement of rocker arm in order to decide the
latitude through light reflection.
order to make sure the solar altitude.
19 20

Sextant principle
Transform the sextant into architectural navigation device
Sextant principle
Transform the sextant into architectural navigation device
People's movement is navigated between rocker arms with the
rotating moved mirror. It means the circulation is guided on the
basis of moved mirror in response to the fixed one.
The fixed mirror works as the main navigating wall.Rotating
mirror are recorded on their movement and are divided to
guide people's movement within them.
21 22

Ocean navigation
坎
艮
震
Yangtze River
乾
巽
兑
坤
离
City center of Shanghai
1. Points
2. Direction
5. Circulation
6. Space
Connecting the site with three points
where is important for sailing, navigation
and the context. Qian pointing to
Yangtze River is the direction of
Nanjing and Taicang where Zhenghe's
expendition to the west started. It also
represents the Sky. Kun pointing to the
city center of Shanghai represent the
earth. Thus, Qian and Kun is the universe.
Zhen is the thunder pointing to the
ocean.
After deciding the direction, one
direction is set as the fixed mirror in
sextant, which is the most fixed element.
Other two directions are adjusted
parapelled according the the site.
Circulation is organized as well as wall
arrangement and division. Wall is used
to navigate walking while providing
diverse views.
Walls divide the site and form new
spaces in a continusous way. Different
height of space are flowly connected
by spaces, ramps or staircases. People's
walking experience is not interruppted.
3. Sextant principle 4. Walls
7. Double walls 8. Landscape
Build the fixed wall and then fit the
sextant principle onto the site. Use the
two decided directions to start rotate as
the sextant.
Walls are formed based on the rotated
orientational lines. Walls are used to
navigate visitors' traveling in the building
which works as a nagivational machine.
The function of wall is not only dividing
space, but also navigating walking and
creating functional spaces, such as
toilet or elevators.
The wall navigates people to the
entrance from the exterior. Walls can
also create landscape and fit the whole
building with the flat ground and to the
river level.
23 24

Concept model
Sextant principle
Develop model
Sextant principle
The sextant is an optical instrument utilizing light reflection to measure solar altitude and
deduce local latitude. The model is made based on sextant principle.
Based on the sextant principle and the concept model. two points are set on site as the
central point along with totating extending walls. Walls can be adapted on the length,
height and position with the restrict of sectant principle.
Look through the telescope to the central point of the fixed mirror and match it with the
skyline. The moved mirror can be rotated to adjust sunlight and allow sunlight reflect on the
central point of the fixed mirror as well. When the sunlight and skyline meet together, the
solar altitude is determined.
25 26

C
1. Entrance of museum
2. Ticket desk
3. Courtyard
4. Exhibition area
5. Experience room
6. Vedio room
7. Exhibition area
8. Relaxation area
9. Courtyard
10. Exhibition area
11. Relaxation area
12. Locker
13. Exit of museum
14. Lobby of terminal
15. Ticket
16. Safety check
17. Cafe
18. Waiting area
19. Ticket gate
20. Office of the terminal
21. Courtyard
22. Second waiting area
23. Platform
24. Operation room
25. Bookstore
26. Courtyard
Tectonic model
A
B
Exploded Axonometric drawing
Detail construction
A'
B'
N
N
0 1 2 5 10 0 1 2 5
10
C'
Underground floor +1m First floor +3m

27. Exhibition area
28. Office area of the museum
29. Relaxation area
30. Toilet
31. Cafe on second floor
32. Platform (roof of the port)
33. Exhibition area
34. Kitchen
35. Coffee bar
N
N
0 1 2 5 10
0 1 2 5
10
Second floor +7.5m Third floor +11m

Section AA'
0
1
2
5
10
Section BB'
0
1
2
5
10
31 32

Section CC' 0 1 2 5 10
33 35

Entrance to the museum
View inside the navigation museum
37

Inside the terminal, the waiting area
On the terrace of the building and have view to Yangtze River
38

South elevation
North elevation
40 41

East elevation
West elevation
42

Materiality
Concrete is used as the primarily material for load-bearing walls. Exposed concrete
is the main material used in the navigation museum and the terminal.
Steel is used to support few parts of structures without blocking people's view.
Timber, the soft material, is used as pavement in the terminal for distinguishment.
Tectonic model
To work with exposed concrete calls for technical precision of the highest order, especially
where the architecture’s character is determined by the material’s special qualities.
-----------------------Pfeifer, 2005
45 46

Exploded axonometric drawing
47
1:200 Model

Model photos
Concept model on site with navigation devices
49

Appendix
Improvement
The transportation approach
on Yangtze River started two
thousand years ago, from raft
to engine powered ship, from
food transportation, river war
to passenger transportation
and trade.
Original detail
Imrpovement 1
The detail is improved on the load-bearing
wall and drainage pipe.
The concrete load-bearing walll is
changed from external to internal.
Exposed concrete board is hung externally
with special treatment at the bottom to
avoid coanda effect.
Drainage pipe is put at the bottom in
front of the wall to lead rain water without
accumulation.
23-27
1) Planting
2) 120mm Substrate
3) 10mm Filter fleece
4) 60mm Drainage layer
5) 10mm Filter fleece
6) 250mm Rigid insulation
7) 10mm Waterproof layer
8) 300mm Concrete slab
9) 250mm Concrete beam
10) 10mm Floor finish
11) 75mm Floating screed with mesh
reinforment
12) 10mm Waterproof layer
13) 50mm Rigid insulation
14) 300mm Concrete floor
15) 10mm Waterproof layer
16) 450mm Reinforcement concrete slab with
800*300mm thicken at edges
17) Compressed soil
18) Loose gravel
19) Sheet metal skirting
20) Double glass
21) Parapet capping
22) Drainage pipe
Improved detail
23) 300mm Concrete load-bearing wall
24) 10mm Waterproof layer
25) 100mm Insulation
26) Secondary supporting structure
27) Hanging exposed concrete board
52

Section AA'
Improved section AA'
Section BB'
Improved section BB'

Section CC'
Improved section CC'
Improvement 2
Sections are improved to show the interior programme with people's activities.
Sections show activities and exhibition areas with particular programme, such as
the navigation museum and the bookstore.
55 57

Improvement 3
The circulation in navigation museum is
improved. In original circulation, when
visitors walk onto the third floor, they enter
a semi-open area. The improvement plan
avoid sending people outside and then
inside on the third floor.
Improvement 4
The circulation path of navigation museum
and terminal is showed on the diagram
separatedly. The circulation of navigation
museum is on the first and third floor and
the circulation of terminal is on the second
floor.
Terminal circulation
Original thrid floor
Museum circulation
Reference
Ashihara, Y., 1992, The Hidden Order: Tokyo Through the
Twentith Century. Tokyo: Kodansha International.
58
Improved third floor
The circulation diagram
Pfeifer, G., 2005, Exposed concrete, Technology and
Design, Birkhäuser 59

Industrial Wharf
ARC 304 Fnial Year Project
Navigational building
Name: Bian Zhifan
ID Number: 1202002
Tutor: Claudia Westermann & Aleksandra Raonic
The East Sea
Gas-turbine Power Plant
Warehouse for icon
Steel Factories
Manmen Port
Linjiang Park
Site
International Terminal
Residential area
Paotaiwan Wetland Park
Baozhen Port
Existing route
Travelling route
Navigation Museum
Navigation museum recalls people of the memory and leads them to the future. Through
the development of transportation, shipping is going to be taken replaced in the future.
The museum imitate feeling of travelling on the sea.
Terminal
At the entrance of Shanghai, the estuary of Yangtze River, the terminal can provide both traveling
to Chongming Island and passenger transport in the future. Services are provided in the terminal.
Bird view to the building
Ocean navigation
Connecting the site with three points
where is important for sailing,
C
Yangtze River
乾
坎
艮
震
巽
navigation and the context. Qian
pointing to Yangtze River is the
direction of Nanjing and Taicang
兑
坤
离
where Zhenghe's expendition to the
west started. It also represents the
Sky. Kun pointing to the city center of
Shanghai represent the earth. Thus,
Wuhan
Nanjing
Shanghai
City center of Shanghai
Qian and Kun is the universe. Zhen is
the thunder pointing to the ocean.
Tibet Plateau
Chongqing
Yichang
Yibing
After deciding the direction, one
direction is set as the fixed mirror
in sextant, which is the most fixed
element. Other two directions are
adjusted parapelled according the the
site.
Windsurfing
Canoe
Castle on Boat Plank-built Boat Raft
Steering Control
Separate Cabin
Wheel Propeller Ship
475
BC
Polaris
221
BC
Sinan
202
BC
220
618
907
960
Compass Marine Compass Magnetic Needle
Warring State
Han Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
Build the fixed wall and then fit the
sextant principle onto the site. Use
the two decided directions to start
rotate as the sextant.
Walls are formed based on the
rotated orientational lines. Walls are
used to navigate visitors' traveling
in the building which works as a
nagivational machine.
Circulation is organized as well as
wall arrangement and division. Wall
is used to navigate walking while
providing diverse views.
B
A
Steamship Sha Ship
Bao Ship
Sextant
Qianxing Board
12
79
13
68
Nautical Map
16
44
17
30
18
02
Song Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
Walls divide the site and form new
spaces in a continusous way. Different
height of space are flowly connected by
spaces, ramps or staircases. People's
walking experience is not interruppted.
The function of wall is not only
dividing space, but also navigating
walking and creating functional
spaces, such as toilet or elevators.
Detail construction
A'
C'
B'
Engine Powered Ship
The wall navigates people to the
entrance from the exterior. Walls can
also create landscape and fit the whole
building with the flat ground and to the
61
Current Ships
20 16
Western exploration (Marco Polo)
river level.
Entrance to the museum
View inside the navigation museum

Exploded drawing 1: 100
1. Entrance of museum
2. Ticket desk
3. Courtyard
4. Exhibition area
5. Experience room
6. Vedio room
7. Exhibition area
8. Relaxation area
9. Courtyard
10. Exhibition area
11. Relaxation area
12. Locker
13. Exit of museum
14. Lobby of terminal
15. Ticket
16. Safety check
17. Cafe
18. Waiting area
19. Ticket gate
20. Office of the terminal
21. Courtyard
22. Second waiting area
23. Platform
24. Operation room
25. Bookstore
26. Courtyard
27. Exhibition area
28. Office area of the museum
29. Relaxation area
30. Toilet
31. Cafe on second floor
32. Platform (roof of the port)
33. Exhibition area
34. Kitchen
35. Coffee bar
62
63
N
Inside the terminal, the waiting area
On the terrace of the building and have view to Yangtze River
Scale 1:200

North elevation
South elevation
North elevation
South elevation
North elevation
South elevation
West elevation
West elevation
West elevation
Section AA'
East elevation
Section BB'
East elevation
Section AA'
East elevation
Section BB'
Section CC'
65

Final Year Project Portfolio
Places of Transition | Shanghai Baoshan | 2015-2016
Bian Zhifan
ID Number: 1202002
Tutors: Claudia Westermann & Aleksandra Raonic