Aimer Factory

Crossboundaries realized Aimer’s factory as a building made of aluminum and glass that reflects the nature of lingerie and uses curves and rounded quadrilateral patterns inspired to lace.

Crossboundaries, Aimer Lingerie Factory, Shunyi District, Beijing, China
In order to reinforce Aimer’s brand image and adapt to a maturing economy, Crossboundaries was asked to add at the factory they designed in 2004 a Research and Development office, a distribution center as well as spaces to showcase its products.
To optimize the site, Crossboundaries gathered all business functions under one roof, resulted in a rectangular stand-alone building that presents strength and authority to the public.
Crossboundaries, Aimer Lingerie Factory, Shunyi District, Beijing, China
Crossboundaries, Aimer Lingerie Factory, Shunyi District, Beijing, China

Following the idea to boost Aimer’s operational efficiency in order to move up the value chain, Crossboundaries responded with detail research and understanding of how Aimers goods, employees and visitors navigate within and between the spaces.

The west public entry into the 12m high lobby invites visitors to the southwest corner of shop and Aimer museum as well as the ground floor conference center that will host industry events. Above the conference center and lobby is the office area, which shares a communal deck with the manufacturing areas, cutting down in-house communication time between administration and production.

Crossboundaries, Aimer Lingerie Factory, Shunyi District, Beijing, China
Crossboundaries, Aimer Lingerie Factory, Shunyi District, Beijing, China

By cutting a void in the builiding and placing a communal deck set at level +13m, the doubled public space crossing ground floor and the deck allows air to better circulate horizontally and vertically along the curved inner facade.

The use of top-hinged glass windows along the inner facade maximize the amount of natural light that shines into both manufacturing and office areas. This timbered deck therefore serves as a bridge to bring administration and workers to stroll and relax in the same place.

Crossboundaries, Aimer Lingerie Factory, Shunyi District, Beijing, China
Crossboundaries, Aimer Lingerie Factory, Shunyi District, Beijing, China
Although the industrial nature of the facility is addressed with galvanized aluminum and concrete on the outer and inner façade respectively, the aluminum panles were designed with vertical fins and concrete panels pre-fabricated in order to enliven a flattened cube with tactility. The outer facade transitions from aluminum coverage to a combination of aluminum and glass, accomodating the different levels of lighting required in products-centered areas and human-centered areas. The visual effect of the facade therefore reflects the nature of lingerie: coverage and transparency.
The staircase in the lobby winds around a veil of slender white columns set at various inclinations screening off the shop and museum. It also doubles as an decending catwalk for models to reveal a new collection of lingerie, emerging from behind the veil to the audiance in the lobby. This sense of exploration and mystery is frequently echoed in lighting, walkways and voids with curves and rounded quadrilateral patterns, which were extracted abstractly from selections of lace.

Aimer Lingerie Factory, Shunyi District, Beijing, China
Program: factory
Architects: Crossboundaries
Collaborating Architects & Engineers: BIAD International Studio & BIAD TSH International Studio
Client: Beijing Aimer Lingerie
Area: 53,000 sqm
Completion: 2014

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