Metro Wind Pavilion / Mur Mur Lab

Architects: Mur Mur Lab
Area: 2400 m²
Year: 2025
Photography: WDi
Design Team: Xia Murong, Li Zhi, Zeng Rui
Structural Design: Xu Hongsheng
Lighting Design: ElA – Jiang Zhaolong, Wang Chuang
Curtain Wall Design: Shanghai Liyang Co., Ltd. – Gao Yushan, Chen Xinyang
Client: Shenzhen Joy City
City: Shenzhen
Country: China

The Metro Wind Pavilion project redefines a set of metro ventilation structures at Shenzhen Joy City by converting them from closed, monolithic volumes into visually engaging urban elements. Mur Mur Lab adopted a measured design strategy that avoided large-scale reconstruction and instead focused on giving the infrastructure a stronger public identity. The studio introduced a chromatic system of aluminum panels inspired by an illustration that served as the project’s tonal foundation. Extensive digital modeling, sampling, and one-to-one color tests ensured the final facade carried a calibrated, sunset-like gradient. A new grille corridor links the pavilions, creating continuity while accommodating functional demands. The renovation offers a restrained intervention that respects the long-term rhythms of the neighborhood and brings an understated visual uplift to the daily life of the surrounding community.

The project began with a recognition that the ventilation pavilions, despite their height and prominent placement, existed as unengaging urban voids. Positioned near a busy commercial frontage, they contributed little to the pedestrian experience and remained isolated from the social and visual fabric around them. Mur Mur Lab responded by reframing these voids as surfaces with latent expressive potential, shifting the focus from structural transformation to perceptual enhancement.

The urban context of old Bao’an played an important role in shaping the direction of the renovation. The architects observed that the district carries memories accumulated through long-term residency, making abrupt interventions incompatible with its character. Instead of attempting to resolve the incomplete history of the pavilions’ construction through dramatic changes, the design sought a calibrated equilibrium that worked within the existing conditions.

Refining the massing of the pavilions became the first step in creating a coherent architectural expression. The streamlined forms provided a neutral base onto which the colored aluminum panels could be applied. These panels were conceived as an abstracted translation of an artwork, establishing a symbolic language rather than relying on spatial complexity. The use of color brought a sense of animation to the infrastructure without compromising its functional requirements.

The process of determining the color composition was central to the project’s development. Digital simulations allowed the designers to experiment with varied configurations, while physical prototypes ensured the tonal transitions maintained their intended impact under natural light. The final gradient evokes a luminous atmospheric quality, lending the pavilions a more approachable presence and softening their industrial character.

To unify the dispersed structures, the architects introduced a grille corridor that subtly connects each pavilion. This element creates a perceptual pathway across the site, guiding movement and reinforcing continuity. Rather than imposing a dominant spatial gesture, the corridor integrates lightly with the surroundings, supporting circulation while maintaining the utility of the ventilation system.

The completed Metro Wind Pavilion illustrates how modest yet deliberate design strategies can reshape public perception of urban infrastructure. By emphasizing color, continuity, and contextual sensitivity, the renovation allows the pavilions to participate more fully in the everyday life of the community. The project demonstrates that long-term urban renewal can be advanced through precise interventions that respect existing conditions while offering new layers of meaning.