CLOU Architects has designed Fuhuali Jinan, a multi-level waterfront village that celebrates the human and natural landscape. The project is located across from Jinan’s famous lake and features geometric volumes that create a lively commercial and social centre with stunning views.
Project Name: Fuhuali Jinan
Designer: CLOU architects
Client: China Overseas
Scope: Architecture, Interior, Signage
Program: Retail
Location: Jinan, China
Size: 40,444 sqm
Status: Completion in 2023
Lead Designer: Jan Clostermann
Architecture: Zhi Zhang, Na Zhao, Mengmeng Zhao, Tianshu Liu, Yishi Li, Yuanyuan Sun, Yujie Jin, Chris Biggin
Interior: Na Zhao, Rentian Liu, Mengmeng Zhao, Shuting Guo, Xiaobin Cheng, Qiaoyi Wu
Signage: Nastya Zavarzina, Haiwei Xie
LDI: UDG Jinan
Structure: UDG Jinan
Landscape: Shenzhen L&A Design
Facade: Foshan Shengyuan Building Decoration Engineering Co., Ltd
MEP: UDG Jinan
Photography: Wu Qingshan
The design is inspired by Zhao Mengfu’s famous painting “Autumn Colours on the Que and Hua Mountains,” which depicts the misty rain that shrouds the lake in serene beauty. CLOU has sought to recreate this ethereal atmosphere in Fuhuali Jinan through the use of water features, lush greenery, and carefully curated materials and finishes.
A Vertical Community Hub that Reinterprets the Traditional Retail
One of the most distinctive features of Fuhuali Jinan is its vertical community mall. This breaks with the traditional notion of enclosed shopping centres, instead creating a patchwork of retail streets and commercial villas. This permeable visual and spatial buffer serves as a transition between the high-density vertical communities and the surrounding natural beauty. Champagne has been chosen as the dominant colour to signify the modern, minimalist commercial vibe of the entire block.
The staggered stacking of the retail cubes, in addition with the roof, creates the image of cubic hills, enhancing the visual impact and the fun of exploration. Different spatial scales accommodate various business and retail types, behind the shopfronts of the commercial lower levels accentuated by vertical battens, and across the stand-out colours and patterns of the upper cubes with their destination character.
A Unique and Innovative Community Hub that Blurs the Boundary Between Indoor and Outdoor
As the fifth biggest city lake in China and a vital part of the Yellow River Scenic Route, Huashan Lake has its own distinct geographical and cultural characteristics. CLOU has paid homage to this unique context in the design of Fuhuali Jinan. For example, the large terrace on the third level with the “floating” cubes offers an exceptional view of the human and natural landscape, while an all-encompassing landscaped observation deck between the geometric volumes blends nature and buildings in an abstract interpretation of misty rain over the lake.
Fuhuali Jinan is a unique and innovative community hub that creates a vibrant and inviting space for residents and visitors alike. It is a testament to CLOU’s commitment to designing spaces that blur the boundary between indoor and outdoor, and that celebrate the natural landscape.
