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RIVERS OF GLORY turns these moments into an unfolding journey, where design breathes life into space, weaving beauty, meaning, and an unspoken sense of belonging into every step.
In every city, public spaces carry the quiet power to shape how people feel, move, and connect. Architectural design breathes life into these shared environments, transforming them from simple thoroughfares into places that stir emotion and invite interaction. A well-considered space can lift the spirit in a busy square, offer calm in a shaded courtyard, or spark curiosity along a winding promenade. Picture a plaza where late afternoon light spills across stone paving, its warmth mirrored in the faces of those who linger, or an open walkway where a carefully framed skyline seems to pull the horizon closer.
Within RIVERS OF GLORY by HZS Design Holding Company Limited for Rongfa (Fuzhou) Real Estate Co., Ltd, the journey unfolds like a choreographed dance between light, form, and movement. Stepping inside, visitors are met with a play of sunlight that filters through sculpted structures, scattering over rippling water and smooth stone, capturing the restless spirit of the Minjiang River Basin. Every surface seems alive , polished metal mirrors shifting skies, while textured stone anchors the design with a sense of permanence.
The visitor’s journey through RIVERS OF GLORY feels like stepping into a story that reveals itself one scene at a time. Arrival at the drop-off area offers the first glimpse, a view perfectly framed by a metal hollow-out screen, hinting at the courtyard beyond and the spaces still to come. A gentle turn along a ninety degree path shifts the perspective, drawing guests into a tall, light-filled viewing corridor. Here, a water courtyard wrapped in a soft veil of mist blurs the edges of reality, while a glowing wall of translucent cloud stone adds a quiet sense of drama.
The main building carries this sense of discovery forward, opening with a 4.8 metre high Low E ultra clear glass curtain wall that transforms the way the space is experienced. Through this vast, transparent surface, three layers of scenery align like a living painting — the carefully raked patterns of a Zen dry garden, the still waterscape that mirrors the sky, and the green gables rising gently in the background. The effect is calm yet powerful, creating a fluid connection between inside and out.
It is a space that feels alive, responding to its surroundings while offering visitors moments of beauty, calm, and connection. This vision and execution have rightly secured it the title of Design of the Year at the 2025 Rome Design Awards in the category of Architectural Design for Public Spaces, a recognition that celebrates its artistry and its enduring impact.
Credits
Winning Entry Title: RIVERS OF GLORY
Winning Firm: HZS Design Holding Company Limited
Winning Category: Architectural Design - Public Spaces
Celebrating the 2025 Rome Design Awards Season 1 winners, where bold vision meets extraordinary craft to redefine design’s possibilities.
