On 19th December 2020, following an intensive project selection process, the Pro+ Award Organizing Committee conferred the Silver Pro+ Award in Interior Design to Benoy for the Greenland Being Fun project in Ningbo, China. Lixue Yin, interior designer in the Shanghai Studio, attended the event and received the award on behalf of Benoy.
Jointly launched by the Architectural Society of Shanghai China, the Architectural Practice, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), the Pro+ Real Estate Award puts an emphasis on real estate development, and evaluates building efficiency from the perspective of investment, construction practices and user experience.
The executive committee was composed of 30 industry leaders and esteemed academic experts. Following the selection process, 251 shortlisted projects were selected from nearly 1,000 submissions. There were a total of 3 main categories and 10 sub-categories, namely the Category Award (residential building, public building, commercial building, urban development and urban renewal), Special Award (landscape design, interior design, architectural curtain wall, project planning and process implementation) and Comprehensive Gold Award.
Greenland Being Fun, Ningbo, China
The Greenland Being Fun project for which Benoy provided interior design and retail planning, is located in the Ningbo Jiangbei Core Area, and is one of the flagship projects for the Three Rivers and Six Banks and North Banks of Two Rivers development and construction initiatives of Ningbo. The project site is bordered by Renmin Road and Manao Road in the east, Daqing South Road in the west, Banqiao Street in the south and Jingjia Road in the north.
According to the regulatory plan for the Jiangbei Core Area, in addition to land for cultural buildings and municipal facilities, the project area shall include an appropriate amount of land for mixed uses such as commerce, culture, entertainment and residence, with the Binjiang Public Green Space as the core. The total land area of this project is 36,800m2, and the total building area is 408,590m2, including 283,050m2 above ground and 125,540m2 underground. The four plots for the project are equipped with commercial, office and hotel facilities, forming a large-scale integrated facility.
Benoy closely collaborated with the client Greenland Holdings Group with the vision to build a landmark complex in Ningbo that integrates functions such as high-end business offices, retail, dining and entertainment. The target customers of the project are urban middle-class families, key opinion leaders (KOLs), office workers and tourists. Centering closely around the target groups, the interior design aims to build an urban habitat for Greenland Holdings Group, namely Being Fun 2.0.
The design style is positioned as young, elegant, fashionable, natural and eclectic. Drawing inspiration from the shape and light and elegant texture of leaves and feathers, the design combines design techniques such as mirrored planes, perforation, aggregation and layered interweaving to create visual enjoyment and a feeling of purity and freshness. In addition, considering the characteristic features of the business area around the project site, the design team infused some architectural gestures that carry historical charm and cultural details into different areas of its interior design, such as the arch elements adopted from the doors and windows of Xie’s Old House (an ancient building), and the red bricks adopted from the Old Bund and Ningbo Post office.
The design of Plot 3 is inspired by islands and the interior design achieves a visual effect of layering in the space by presenting the soft shape of leaves and the transparency of feathers, and transforms the space into a gathering point for people and commerce to interact.
The design allows for a layout that is practical and usable, meeting the functional necessity required by the client. It is flexible and adaptable to the operational needs of different retail operators, so as to create a fully furnished commercial area that fits a variety of business features.
The design of Plot 4 opens up the previously enclosed space to form a more open and interactive commercial experience. It also endows the space with an elegant and fashionable atmosphere and temperament by highlighting modern curved shapes and intricate design details. The open space also further diversifies the business uses, creating infinite possibilities for flexible and diverse business needs in the future.
Since its opening in June 2020, Ningbo Greenland Being Fun has successfully introduced more than 70 establishments including retail, entertainment, culture and F&B. With its proprietary brands and whimsical design features, Ningbo Greenland Being Fun creates a unique shopping atmosphere, bringing a diversified and cutting-edge, high-quality commercial and cultural experience to residents and visitors of Ningbo.
