B.L.U.E. Architecture Studio (Beijing Laboratory for Urban Environment) has completed Seed Plaza in Nanhu District, Jiaxing, China, a zigzagging indoor-outdoor plaza composed of a series of stacked boxes, set in a semi-rural location. In use as an exhibition and retail space for the local community, the plaza will eventually serve as a community center.

In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, B.L.U.E. Architecture Studio noticed more and more people wishing to interact with nature and spend time outdoors. This led the studio to think differently about the inherent value of architecture, creating a space in which the urban environment and nature closely intertwine — around half of Seed Plaza’s 7,000-square-meter (75,347-square-feet) built area is outdoors, leading to an open form of architecture.

When designing the plaza, B.L.U.E. wished to create a “miniature three-dimensional neighborhood” using the spatial logic of “streets and alleys” to bring about a series of experiences. The structure comprises twenty stacked boxes of different sizes spread across four floors (and a semi-underground space). The boxes are combined with floor slabs to generate communal “grey spaces” where people can wander and explore, zigzagging and meandering — these spaces enjoy an abundance of greenery, creating a veritable concrete jungle. Thirteen different staircases spread throughout the plaza encourage this sense of exploration. The independent nature of the boxes ensures they can respond flexibly to future changes in the building as it transitions to a community center.

Boxes are placed on the platform slabs at various angles, with fewer boxes on each level as the plaza ascends to the rooftop and a “sky theater” (its high walls lead the eye upwards, towards the sky). Floor slabs project at different angles, avoiding the rigidity of straight lines and creating a dynamic visual effect. A light-filled atrium is formed by an irregular-shaped hole in each level, its design providing intersecting lines of sight. Steps leading from the first floor connect the semi-underground space and the square, offering spaces to sit.

B.L.U.E. chose tones of grey and white for the building facade, highlighting the studio’s design philosophy of “architecture as the background and container of daily life.” Reflecting the diverse nature of a neighborhood setting, the boxes are finished with a range of facade effects: those on the first and fourth floors feature aluminum and stainless steel panels; on the second and third floors, wooden panels and stone are used. Different flooring effects also feature across the building: stone on the first floor connects with the landscape of the square; exposed aggregate concrete covers the second and fourth floors; outdoor laminated bamboo flooring is used on the semi-underground space and third floor. These material choices seek to enliven the visitor as they move between floors.

B.L.U.E. Architecture Studio’s approach to Seed Plaza seeks to move away from an era of rapid urban development in China in which “society pursued saturated interior usable areas.” Where outdoor spaces were considered wasteful, the studio hopes to see an increase in their importance: “Seed Plaza provides people with a space that allows them to take a break and connect with nature,” says the studio. By fostering better community relations, “we hope this model may become a preferred choice for neighborhood centers and commercial architecture in the new era.”

Seed Plaza’s different levels

Semi-underground space:

First floor:

Second floor:

Third floor:

Fourth floor:

Rooftop “sky theater”: