Architecture Asia Special Issue - ARCASIA Awards for Architecture 2020

HONORABLE
MENTION
B-5
Youzishan Weather
Radar Tower
Specialized Buildings
Architect:
HE Ying / ARCO Architects + Southeast University
Location:
Nanjing, China
The design is intended to connect with the site with a form that is as light and transparent as
possible. The original concept is derived from the surrounding trees. It is hoped that the concrete
tower body will resemble a growing tree trunk, with the steel structure stairs winding upward
and the platform box stairs hanging on the trees to form viewfinders at different heights
and facing different directions. Visitors will be able to ascend the height between different
steps and look into the distance. This tower transforms the 30-meter climb into a pleasant
sightseeing trip that reveals changes in the spatial rhythm.
JURY CITATION: Normally, radar towers are huge and function-driven without considering their
surroundings or the aesthetic itself. This project is small, simple, yet meaningful as it stands
out as an example, arguing the possibility of how function-driven architecture or construction
can also serve its surroundings and the public. The architecture ingeniously combines the basic
functions of the radar tower with tourists' sightseeing behavior, making the project a more active
project from a conventional infrastructure and avoiding environmental damage.
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