Architecture practice a9a rchitects cis the author of a market in Zhengzhou, the largest city and capital of Henan province, China. The project was born with the intention of getting closer to the neighbors, with a wooden structure that recalls traditional construction systems and that is also more sustainable, at the same time that different social programs are introduced in a space with a festive atmosphere, where priority is given to interaction and relationships between the inhabitants of the same community.

In a large city, which undergoes constant urban and social development, neighborhood coexistence and the closeness of its citizens are affected by urban loneliness. The programmatic objective of the project is to ensure that, thanks to "PULO MARKET", a place of union and memories is created for new urbanites and people who were already part of the neighborhood. The business spaces support this proposal.

a9a rchitects organizes the project with three independent blocks of two floors, which offer different services; food, basic products, catering businesses, or cafeterias. The complex with internal and external streets facilitates the connection of the blocks in a subtle way so that the transit between people is fluid and leads from the entrance to the business areas, community life, parks, and natural areas.

Wood, concrete, and glass are the materials. Fir wood was chosen as the material of choice, renouncing hard and cold materials. The interspersed black steel pillars bring a cooler tone to the building as a whole. The decks are sloped and flat, with glass windows to view the outside environment. The inner streets are paved with gravel, while the outer ones are normal and waterproof artificial paving.


PULO MARKET by a9a rchitects. Photograph by Arch-Exist Photography.


PULO MARKET by a9a rchitects. Photograph by Arch-Exist Photography.


PULO MARKET by a9a rchitects. Photograph by Arch-Exist Photography.

Description of project by a9a rchitects

Project Overview
With the current development of urban society, the concept of "community" is being mentioned more and more frequently, and has become a new place for new urbanites to reside and create memories. In the face of the upgrading of urban development, we have designed the PULO Market, which integrates a variety of living functions to promote community interaction and interaction.

Four Seasons of the PULO MARKET
a9a rchitects is a young and talented collective of architects, designers and most importantly thinkers. a9a is interested in all topics directly or indirectly related to architecture, and works on projects and research of any scale in the fields of architecture.


PULO MARKET by a9a rchitects. Photograph by THE IDEAL LAND.

01 Architecture
1.1 Construction Process
The construction phase is busy and orderly. All the forces gathered to enter the wooden beams and steel columns built here, together witnessing the maturity and integrity of the PULO Market, the ideal life has a touchable form.

1.2 Community Commercial Buildings
In the modern city where neighborhood interaction is increasingly neglected, the warmth of the neighborhood is especially precious, as the community atmosphere dispels the cold of winter and recovers the warmth and beauty from childhood memories in everyone's heart.

1.3 Block Scale
PULO Market grows from this neighborhood, with three relatively independent blocks forming a pleasant scale of the inner street.

The cut line of the segmented block becomes the main circulation connecting the people on both sides of the residential area and the park, as well as an important traffic path connecting various functional blocks.


PULO MARKET by a9a rchitects. Photograph by THE IDEAL LAND.

1.4 Functions of the Boxes
Through thinking about the space prototype of the box, we provide a set of modular and variable schemes for the future format planning, which are extended according to the business needs of different formats on the premise of meeting the overall architectural style. When we put these Spaces into the market, the square is transformed into a block.

1.5 Convenient Living
PULO Market provides a wealth of vegetables, fruits and fresh aquatic products to buy convenience, but also tries to reproduce the memory of the lively and human touch in the space. The space can also accommodate diverse needs - coffee, snacks, bars, restaurants, daily retail, to meet the diversified needs of residents for daily gatherings, dining out, business negotiations and so on.

02 Construction
2.1 Wood, Concrete, Glass
The creation of community fireworks should be considered from the time of material selection. Spruce wood was chosen as the material of choice, forgoing hard and cold materials. The black steel pillars interspersed throughout bring a cooler tone to the building as a whole.

2.2 Clear Structure
Spruce solid wood and steel structure connects modern wood structure, with lightweight structure characteristics, providing infinite possibilities for the construction of multiple spaces.  The interior roof is made of purlins and rafters, which are located in the same plane, and the exposed wooden frame reflects the structural beauty.

2.3 Environmental Protection
The PULO Market is built with a large amount of reusable wood, which is environmentally friendly and at the same time more simple and modular in design to facilitate quick completion.


PULO MARKET by a9a rchitects. Photograph by THE IDEAL LAND.

2.4 Terrace and Connecting Corridor
Through thinking about the space prototype of the box, we provide a set of modular and variable schemes for the future format planning, which are extended according to the business needs of different formats on the premise of meeting the overall architectural style.

2.5 Skyline of the Market
The sloping and flat roofs, partial two-story buildings and accessible terraces create the undulating contours of the PULO Market. The result is a rich dynamic line that facilitates the intersection of users' views.

03 Landscape
3.1 Living with Nature
From the colorful central park of the community, the volume of the building is subtly dissolved. The landscape is reorganized with the setting of trees along the street level, forming a visual connection with the park with ginkgoes, and continuing the golden color of the PULO Market.

3.2 View of the Entrance
The inner and outer streets are differentiated by different ground materials, and the two inner and outer street junctions are deliberately compressed, while the trees at the main indoor entrance are spaced apart to complete the entrance atmosphere.


PULO MARKET by a9a rchitects. Photograph by Arch-Exist Photography.

3.3 Plants as Background
In the basic environment with limited land use and intertwined lines, it is difficult to form a forest of greenery, so concessions and borrowed scenery become the most important design techniques, leaving the store display screen and comfortable activity areas to highlight the architecture and let the indoor and outdoor boundaries gradually dissolve.

3.4 Extended Line of Sight
The site is limited, but the view can be extended infinitely beyond the landscape site, taking into account the surrounding environment of the site and the indoor environment of the area. Take advantage of the park behind to arrange the landscape, or use planting to shield the distant site from the less than perfect picture.

3.5 Materials of the Landscape
The inner streets are fully paved with gravel, a material that is not conducive to fast-paced traffic, in contrast to the regular, artificial paving of the outer streets. The ecological advantages of gravel, such as permeability and porosity, are in line with the natural temperament of the rain garden.

04 Interior
4.1 Reunion with Family
The architecture of the marketplace is divided into pieces, giving the space an openness that is suitable for both inside and outside, and using large areas of light-transmitting glass. The interior is planned to bring the eye to the diversity of the market through the planning of the circulation line.

4.2 Winter Snow Scene
In the icy weather, the colors of the winter courtyard fade away, leaving a snowy scene from the inner street promenade to the terrace roof.

4.3 Lighting Settings
The lighting design continues the narrative of the retreat aesthetic, weakening the landscape lights and focusing on expressing the shadowy beauty of nature.


PULO MARKET by a9a rchitects. Photograph by Arch-Exist Photography.

05 Lifestyle
5.1 Warm Neighborhood
On the basis of satisfying the convenience of life, people have higher requirements for community business. Neighbors expect a diversified community that meets their imagination, the happiness of being with their neighbors, and the sense of belonging that brings out their self-worth.

5.2 Celebrate the Holidays
The festive atmosphere here is enough to impress every neighbor and city visitor. Red lanterns, fireworks and moonlight create a festive atmosphere.


PULO MARKET by a9a rchitects. Photograph by THE IDEAL LAND.

5.3 The Ideal Lifestyle
Children enjoy healthy food, young people feel the vibrancy; neighbors awaken past memories in chance encounters......At the PULO Market, art and creativity become the most special commodities.

Conclusion
Whether it's chasing the fireworks of the festival or enjoying the quiet slow time, everyone has their own exclusive way of life. PULO Market never defines the ideal life, but looks for more beautiful life and brings them to people.

More information

Label
Architects
Text
Architectural Design a9a rchitects. Lead architect.- Jio Li.
+ + copy Created with Sketch.
- + copy Created with Sketch.
Label
Design Team
Text
Buliding A Interior Design.- a9a rchitects.
Design Team.- Ariel Shen, Ling Wang, Kun Li, Yongjie Bian.
Building BCD Interior Design.- HÉZI DESIGN.
Design Team.- Mingmin Yu, Chito Wang, One Chen, Xinrui Wang.
+ + copy Created with Sketch.
- + copy Created with Sketch.
Label
Collaborators
Text
Landscape Design.- H&A LANDSCAPE DESIGN.
Structural Design.- LuAnLu Partner Structure Consulting.
Visual Identity Design.- ZSDC.
Signage Design.- a9a rchitects.
Architectural Lighting.- bpi.
Interior Lighting.- studio illumine, Artluci lighting design.
Curtainwall Design.- Zhengzhou Jinyige Decoration Engineering.
Electromechanical Design.- MING SHEN ARCHITECTURE DESIGN.
Construction Drawing Design.- MING SHEN ARCHITECTURE DESIGN.
+ + copy Created with Sketch.
- + copy Created with Sketch.
Label
Client
Text
THE IDEAL LAND.
+ + copy Created with Sketch.
- + copy Created with Sketch.
Label
Builder
Text
Shanghai Zhenyuan Timber Structures Engineering Co., Ltd.
+ + copy Created with Sketch.
- + copy Created with Sketch.
Label
Area
Text
4,200 m².
+ + copy Created with Sketch.
- + copy Created with Sketch.
Label
Dates
Text
Design Time.- 07/2021-12/2021.
Construction Time.- 11/2021-10/2022.
+ + copy Created with Sketch.
- + copy Created with Sketch.
Label
Location
Text
Zhengzhou, Henan. China.
+ + copy Created with Sketch.
- + copy Created with Sketch.
Label
Photography
Text
Arch-Exist Photography, THE IDEAL LAND, TOPIA.
+ + copy Created with Sketch.
- + copy Created with Sketch.
a9a rchitects is a China-based studio of architects and designers, founded in 2015. The studio is interested in all issues directly or indirectly related to architecture, working on projects and research of any scale in the fields of architecture. They have received wide attention and recognition at home and abroad, winning the 2020 Dezeen Awards, 2020 WAF, 2020 AD 100, 2020 Architecture MasterPrize, International Design Media Award, 2021 BLT Built Design Award and other major architecture awards in home and abroad, and have been reported by many domestic and foreign media.

Jio Li has been involved in planning, architecture and interior design for more than fifteen years. Under the tutelage of Hua Tang, Zhizhong Dai and Pengju Zhang, he worked and studied in many star firms and was involved in commercial real estate projects and ancient architecture design research for many years, including CAG, CMCU ADD. He has participated in various real estate and public building design projects on numerous occasions. In 2013, he worked and studied ancient architecture design methods in Chengdu for two years for work purposes. In 2015, he co-founded a9a architects with his friend Asif and tried to design all new things. Following the principle of design creativity and combining it with the principle of "natural attributes are the invariable design language", he has successively completed cultural projects of various scales. After the establishment of a9a, partner Asif expanded the studio's international architectural vision. In 2018, the focus shifted to the international level. Member of the Royal Institute of British Architects, President of the Jiuzhu Branch of the Research Institute of Architectural Planning and Design, Chongqing University. Master of Architecture, Chongqing University. Jury of the BLT Built Design Award.
Read more
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...