a9a rchitects has designed a community market providing a set of flexible and modular spaces from wooden elements in Zhengzhou, Henan, China.

Named Pulo Market, the 4,200-square-metre building in located in a neighborhood of Zhengzhou, comprised of three relatively independent blocks forming a pleasant scale of the inner street.

Image © The Ideal Land

a9a rchitects designed the market with wooden beams and steel columns aiming to bring a warmth to the neighborhood where 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.

The two-storey market provides a wealth of vegetables, fruits and fresh aquatic products to buy convenience, while trying to reproduce the memory of the lively and human touch in the space. 

Image © The Ideal Land

An internal steet divides the programmatic volumes, making the circulation easier in between them. Main entrance, seafoodshop, operation room, equipment room, well road, public toilet, fire exit, boh, retail, food court, shop are placed on the ground floor.

The second floor consists of restaurant seating, restaurant vip, operation room, equipment room, well road, public toilet, fire exit, canteen seating, restaurant, roof viewing platform.

Image © The Ideal Land

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, the studio has designed the Pulo Market, which integrates a variety of living functions to promote community interaction and interaction.

Image © The Ideal Land

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.

Image © The Ideal Land

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.

Image © The Ideal Land

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.

Image © Arch-Exist Photography

Functions of the Boxes

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

When the studio put these spaces into the market, the square is transformed into a block.

Image © Arch-Exist Photography

Convenient Living

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.

Image © Arch-Exist Photography

Construction

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.

Image © Arch-Exist Photography

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.

Image © Arch-Exist Photography

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.

Image © Arch-Exist Photography

Terrace and Connecting Corridor

Through thinking about the space prototype of the box, the studio provides 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.

Image © Arch-Exist Photography

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.

Image © Arch-Exist Photography

Landscape

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.

Image © Arch-Exist Photography

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.

Image © Arch-Exist Photography

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.

Image © Arch-Exist Photography

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.

Image © Arch-Exist Photography

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.

Image © Arch-Exist Photography

Interior

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.

Image © Arch-Exist Photography

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.

Image © Arch-Exist Photography

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.

Image © Arch-Exist Photography

Lifestyle

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.

Image © The Ideal Land

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.

Image © The Ideal Land

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.

Image © The Ideal Land

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.

Image © The Ideal Land

Image © The Ideal Land

Image © The Ideal Land

Image © The Ideal Land

Image © The Ideal Land

Image © The Ideal Land

Image © The Ideal Land

First floor plan

Second floor plan

a9a rchitects previously designed a bookstore with a transparent glass curtain wall in Sichuan Province, China.

Project facts

Project: Pulo Market

Location: Zhengzhou, Henan

Client: THE IDEAL LAND

Type: Commercial

Area: 4200m2

Architectural Design: a9a rchitects 

Chief Designer: Jio Li

Design Team: Ariel Shen, Ling Wang, Kun Li, Yongjie Bian

Buliding A Interior Design: a9a rchitects

Design Team: Mingmin Yu, Chito Wang, One Chen, Xinrui Wang

Building BCD Interior Design: HÉZI DESIGN

Landscape Design: H&A LANDSCAPE DESIGN

Structural Design: LuAnLu Partner Structure Consulting

Visual Identity Design: ZSDC

Signage Design: a9a rchitects

Construction: Shanghai Zhenyuan Timber Structures Engineering Co., Ltd.

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

Material: Spruce Solid Wood, Reinforced Concrete, Glass

Design Time: 07/2021-12/2021

Construction Time: 11/2021-10/2022

Status: Completed

Top image in the article © The Ideal Land. 

All images © Arch-Exist Photography and The Ideal Land.

All drawings © a9a rchitects. 

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