Design Daily
  • Home
  • Projects
    • Commercial
      • Bank
      • Distribution Centre
      • Exhibition Centre
      • Office
      • Trade Show
      • Pop-up
      • Shop/Store
      • Shopping Centre/Mall
      • Showroom
      • Supermarket
    • Cultural
      • Gallery
      • Concert Hall
      • Cultural Centre
      • Exhibition
      • Memorial
      • Museum
      • Pavilion
      • Sculpture
      • Hall/Theater
      • Observation Tower
    • Educational
      • Auditorium
      • Library
      • Nursery
      • Primary School
      • High School
      • University
      • Workshop
    • Government + Health
      • Aging Facility
      • Care Home
      • City Hall
      • Community Centre
      • Consulate/Embassy
      • Courthouse
      • Fire Station
      • Hospital
      • Medical Facility
      • Military Building
      • Palace
      • Parliament
      • Police Station
      • Post Office
      • Prison
    • Industrial
      • Factory
      • Farm
      • Laboratory
      • Mill
      • Power Plant
      • Pump Station
      • Research Facility
      • Warehouse
      • Winery
    • Landscape + Urbanism
      • City
      • Coast
      • Commercial Landscape
      • Heritage
      • Individual Building
      • Masterplan
      • Residential Landscape
      • Park/Garden
      • Rural/Village
      • Townscape
      • Transport
      • Urban Green Space
      • Urban Planning/Regional
      • Waterway/Wetland
    • Recreational + Hospitality
      • Amusement Park
      • Bar/Nightclub
      • Casino
      • Cinema
      • Hotel
      • Information Centre
      • Golf Course
      • Movie Theater
      • Park
      • Playground
      • Restaurant
      • Skatepark
      • Sports Centre
      • Stadium
      • Swimming Pool
      • Theme Park
      • Visitor Center
      • Wellness/Spa
      • Yacht
      • Zoo/Aquarium
    • Refurbishment
      • Adaptive Reuse
      • Restoration
      • Renovation
      • Extension
    • Religious
      • Cathedral
      • Cemetery
      • Chapel
      • Church
      • Crematorium
      • Memorial Space
      • Monastery
      • Mosque
      • Synagogue
      • Temple
    • Residential
      • Apartment
      • Multi Unit Housing
      • Private House
      • Senior Housing
      • Student Housing
    • Transport + Infrustructure
      • Airport
      • Aquaduct
      • Bicycle Stand
      • Boathouse
      • Bridge
      • Bridge Control Building
      • Bus Station
      • Car Park
      • Hanger
      • Highway
      • Marina and Port
      • Parking
      • Passenger Terminal
      • Promenade
      • Sound Barrier
      • Subway Station
      • Train Station
      • Tram Stop
      • Tunnel
      • Watch Tower
  • News
  • Collections
  • Competitions
  • Events
  • Interviews
  • About
  • Contact
  • User Center
  • Submit
  • English ▾
    ar العربيةzh-CN 中文nl Nederlandsen Englishfr Françaisde Deutschit Italianopt Portuguêsru Русскийes Español
  • Project of the Year
Design Daily
  • Home
  • Projects
    • Commercial
      • Bank
      • Distribution Centre
      • Exhibition Centre
      • Office
      • Trade Show
      • Pop-up
      • Shop/Store
      • Shopping Centre/Mall
      • Showroom
      • Supermarket
    • Cultural
      • Gallery
      • Concert Hall
      • Cultural Centre
      • Exhibition
      • Memorial
      • Museum
      • Pavilion
      • Sculpture
      • Hall/Theater
      • Observation Tower
    • Educational
      • Auditorium
      • Library
      • Nursery
      • Primary School
      • High School
      • University
      • Workshop
    • Government + Health
      • Aging Facility
      • Care Home
      • City Hall
      • Community Centre
      • Consulate/Embassy
      • Courthouse
      • Fire Station
      • Hospital
      • Medical Facility
      • Military Building
      • Palace
      • Parliament
      • Police Station
      • Post Office
      • Prison
    • Industrial
      • Factory
      • Farm
      • Laboratory
      • Mill
      • Power Plant
      • Pump Station
      • Research Facility
      • Warehouse
      • Winery
    • Landscape + Urbanism
      • City
      • Coast
      • Commercial Landscape
      • Heritage
      • Individual Building
      • Masterplan
      • Residential Landscape
      • Park/Garden
      • Rural/Village
      • Townscape
      • Transport
      • Urban Green Space
      • Urban Planning/Regional
      • Waterway/Wetland
    • Recreational + Hospitality
      • Amusement Park
      • Bar/Nightclub
      • Casino
      • Cinema
      • Hotel
      • Information Centre
      • Golf Course
      • Movie Theater
      • Park
      • Playground
      • Restaurant
      • Skatepark
      • Sports Centre
      • Stadium
      • Swimming Pool
      • Theme Park
      • Visitor Center
      • Wellness/Spa
      • Yacht
      • Zoo/Aquarium
    • Refurbishment
      • Adaptive Reuse
      • Restoration
      • Renovation
      • Extension
    • Religious
      • Cathedral
      • Cemetery
      • Chapel
      • Church
      • Crematorium
      • Memorial Space
      • Monastery
      • Mosque
      • Synagogue
      • Temple
    • Residential
      • Apartment
      • Multi Unit Housing
      • Private House
      • Senior Housing
      • Student Housing
    • Transport + Infrustructure
      • Airport
      • Aquaduct
      • Bicycle Stand
      • Boathouse
      • Bridge
      • Bridge Control Building
      • Bus Station
      • Car Park
      • Hanger
      • Highway
      • Marina and Port
      • Parking
      • Passenger Terminal
      • Promenade
      • Sound Barrier
      • Subway Station
      • Train Station
      • Tram Stop
      • Tunnel
      • Watch Tower
  • News
  • Collections
  • Competitions
  • Events
  • Interviews
  • About
  • Contact

Haikou Wenming East Road Tunnel

  • Project Type: Transport+Infrastructure, Tunnel
  • Designer: Penda China
  • Location: China, Haikou
  • Year: 2020
  • Size: 2720 m²
  • Photo Credits: Zhi Xia

 Wenming East Tunnel is 4380m at its full length (2720m for the underground 6-lane dual carriageway) with a maximum depth of over 23m. It is the first tunnel to be constructed underneath the Nandu River; vehicles traveling within the tunnel may drive at a maximum speed of 60km/h on the motorway, with a reduced speed limit of 40km/h at road junctions.

Penda China was commissioned to design three entrances to the tunnel, one of which is much larger in scale and located on the east side, by the shoreline; the other two are on the west side and much smaller. Generally, vehicular tunnel entrances must provide a transition zone in order to allow the human eye time to acclimate to the considerable change in brightness when going into the tunnel. To dispel any danger to potential drivers, Penda China’s design does away with LED light grilles, and instead incorporates a curved madeleine-shaped canopy. This open clamshell shape ushers in natural light, while maintaining a uniformity of luminance at the entrance.

The entrances are a practice of bionic design, taking elements of marine life as sculptural inspiration, and specifically use undulating white shells as a prototype in homage to their location by the sea. The canopy is clad in glazed aluminum panels, which have been selected for their exceptional shine and luster. Subtle black lines delineate the outer surface of the canopy in counterpoint to the expanse of curving white panels.

The underside of the canopy also incorporates the undulating texture, with the white material continued down the side walls to ensure a uniformity of luminance which is pleasing to the eye. The appearance of a fish’s gills has been taken as a motif there, in a continuation of the marine life theme.

Light travels into the tunnel and over the undulating surface in a rhythmic manner, akin to ripples in still water which gently repeat and gradually subside. The way the stainless steel sheets have been embedded in the granite walls allows the reflected light pattern to continue further, extending the established rhythm. Penda China have also drawn creative inspiration from marine bioluminescence, incorporating a multitude of small lights embedded in the lines between cladding panels. This allows the outer shell to emit a glow at night from up top, bringing a hint of romance to the city.

The three entrance designs vary in size, shape, and location, while all adhering to the same set of design principles, creating a harmony between them and their particular sites. From a bird’s eye point of view, these futuristic landmark entrances stand out from the existing city fabric and provide a tinge of surrealism to Haikou, as envisioned by Penda China. As time goes on, who knows what a city will look like 20 years from now? Perhaps these entrances are simply a beautiful vision of the future, as imagined by Penda China.

Project Gallery

 

Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest

Newsletter

Follow us

Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest Linkedin Flickr Tumblr



POPULAR POSTS

  • A Look Inside DZ Bank’s New NYC Office

  • Corner House by Archier

  • House 109 by Maria João Fradinho

  • Imbue Design completes glass-and-steel home in Utah desert landscape

  • Apartment for One by Paulina Kasprowicz

Recent Posts

  • Harry House by Archier

  • Corner House by Archier

  • House 109 by Maria João Fradinho

  • Oriol House by Rubén Muedra Estudio de Arquitectura

  • A Look Inside DZ Bank’s New NYC Office

  • Wabi Sabi House by Dorothée Sola




Subscribe Newsletter

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Linkedin
  • Flickr
  • Tumblr
  • Email
  • RSS
  • Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
  • Advertising
  • Contact

Design Daily © 2010 - 2021
Images are copyrighted to each entity/photographer mentioned or the original owner.
If you believe that content on the Design Daily site infringes a copyright, please send us a notice by mail.