Header: Arch-Exist
The Red Box, created by Mix Architecture, stands as a bright block of colour at the foot of Red Mountain. The colour choice is a direct nod to three distinct layers of local history.
First, it respects the “red memory” of the 1950s, when the site was the Nanjing Combat Machinery Factory. Second, it matches the old red brickwork of the original factory buildings. Finally, it pulls its shade from the mountain itself, which got its name in 1948 because of the red iron oxide found in its soil. In a clever bit of chemistry, that same iron oxide is what gives the building’s concrete its specific tint.
Raw materials and industrial precision
To make the new building feel like it belongs next to the old factory, the team used red concrete poured into wooden moulds. The grain of the wood gives the concrete a texture that mimics the size and feel of traditional bricks. Getting the colour right was no small feat. The designers ran several tests on concrete blocks before finding the perfect shade. Once they settled on the mix, computers controlled the raw materials during construction to make sure the colour stayed consistent across the entire project. This industrial approach meant the building, its interior, and the surrounding gardens were all planned at the same time to fit together like parts of a machine.
Courtyards and carved out spaces
The building looks like a heavy rectangular block floating above a garden wall. On the north side, a massive solid wall faces the park, while the south side features terraces that step back to follow the slope of the mountain. A sharp triangular cut in the courtyard wall hides the main entrance, leading visitors down a winding path. Inside, the west side of the building is open to the public, featuring a large courtyard with a preserved tree and a reflecting pool. The east side is kept more private. On the second floor, a bridge-like corridor connects two main rooms, offering views of the greenery to the south and a pine courtyard that stays green all year round.
Lighting and long-lasting details
Small, surprising details are tucked into the heavy concrete walls. On the second floor, the architects embedded semi-clear acrylic pieces into the structure. In one section, these look like tiny dots that glow like stars when the light hits them. In another, they are shaped like bricks to match the older buildings nearby. Large windows and terraces are positioned so that the mountain feels like it is part of the room, turning the view into a living picture. Every part of the build, from the air conditioning to the window frames, was designed to be sturdy and long-lasting, ensuring the Red Box remains a fixture of the landscape for decades to come.
The Red Box succeeds because it treats history as a building material rather than just a story. It is a precise, tough, and beautiful structure that shows how industrial design can pay its respects to the past while looking firmly toward the future.
Project info
Project name: Red Box
Project location: Huangjiayu Drive, block 41-1, Hongshan high-tech factory, 16th block, Gulou district, Nanjing, China
Project Owner: Nanjing Construction Machinery Works, Co, Ltd.
Project director: Mix Architecture
Design team: Suning Zhou, Ziye Wu,Ke Yang, Tao Tang
Structural Consultant: Shanghai Wilderness Structural Des. Firm Inc.
Lighting consultant: lumia lab
Source: v2com newswire
