An important role for the community. The Lighthouse of Wishes by Vector Architects

Description of project by Vector Architects

On the picturesque coastline of Aranya Community, Beidaihe, you'll find the Lighthouse of Wishes situated in adjacence to Vector Architect’s Seashore Library. This is a special project made possible after its selection as the "best new years eve architectural proposal" by the community's residents in an open poll. After two months of design refinement and construction, it was officially completed and inaugurated on December 31, 2022, in preparation for the arrival of 2023. The concept of Lighthouse of Wishes began with an idea – architects retreating to the background, inviting people to participate in the process of architectural design, harnessing civic energy through the process of "co-creation, co-construction, and co-owning", to create a one-of-a-kind New Year's Eve installation structure. The entire façade of the Wishing Beacon was painted by the public. On New Year’s Eve, the final empty canvas on the Lighthouse fills with colour, and at midnight, the entire structure was illuminated. During the following period of New Year's celebration, it continues to offer new aesthetic experiences to locals and visitors. For this project, we particularly investigated material processing and construction, lightweight construction strategies, and cradle-to-cradle lifecycle assessment of construction materials in relation to the relationship between architecture, people, and time.


The Lighthouse of Wishes by Vector Architects. Photography by Zhiyu Long.

Material and Tectonics
The primary structure of the lighthouse is a 12-meter-tall steel structure. The steel skeleton and foundation ballast steel plate were built in local factories before being transported and installed by a crawler crane that could navigate the sandy beach. Iterative optimizations resulted in the selection of 8-cm-thick solid steel plates to minimise interference with the existing site and maximise recycling potential. Polycarbonate sheets were selected as the material for the façade for its translucency, enabling the lighthouse to exhibit varied effects under varying lighting situations, expressing the complete interaction between time and nature. Each layer of polycarbonate boards is inclined at a 5° angle towards the ground using triangular softwood wedges attached to the steel structure using dovetail nails. During the course of the day, natural light penetrates through the spaces between the layers, allowing visitors to see the passage of time through extraordinary visual experiences.

Collaborating with the community
Through our "Lighthouse of Wishes Co-creation Plan" and the collection of wishes in the form of drawings from both online and offline communities, we aimed to unite those with a passion for life across China through architecture. To accomplish this, 204 custom-made polycarbonate panels were installed on the building's exterior. After preliminary testing for pigment weather resistance and light transmission, acrylic paint was selected as the ultimate medium. As part of community activities, we encouraged both locals and visitors to participate in the creation of art. In addition, we promoted and launched the "New Year's Eve Lighthouse - Online Drawing Collecting Activity" through social media, collecting and selecting a number of outstanding works for physical reproduction. Each person who submitted a design became an "architect" of  the Lighthouse of wishes，as each stroke of the pen became an integral part of the structure's construction.

Ephemerality
The completion of the Lighthouse of Wishes occurred at the turning point of New Year's Eve 2022 to 2023. We value the ceremonial and ritualistic nature of celebrating New Year's Eve, gathering the public at the foot of the lighthouse to witness this important moment through the choreographed light shows and a countdown to midnight. When the New Year's bell rang, the lighthouse was fully illuminated, and the 204 wishes gathered across the country shone together. This transformed the Lighthouse of Wishes into an important location along the coast to inspire public energy.


The Lighthouse of Wishes by Vector Architects. Photography by Arch-Exist.

Perpetuality
After its initial illumination, the Lighthouse of Wishes will present two distinct personalities depending on the time of day. During the day, the lighthouse has a smooth, translucent appearance and sits modestly within its context. Through the facade, sunlight illuminates the semi-transparent panels, which shimmer with vibrant hues. The lighthouse is supported by a central pillar and its base opens in all directions, presenting a gesture of welcome that invites people to enter and admire the artwork. At night, the internal lights of the lighthouse glimmer like a living, breathing "container" that displays 204 unique "wishes." The lighthouse is 12 metres tall, and people can see the "wish" artworks located in various orientations and positions, even from a great distance away. Standing here, gathers life's hope, guides the lost, and represents the eternal spirituality of Aranya’s philosophy. This is a unique architectural experiment. We attempted to respond to the climate crisis proactively by employing recyclable construction methods. The main steel structure of the lighthouse will be recycled, and the facade panels will be given as gifts to those who participate in the "co-creation plan" after the building has fulfilled its purpose. The Lighthouse of Wishes' existence will continue in an entirely new manner.