The new building intends to introduce commercial art to the residents of Shiyihe, China, and help foster a new creative community around it
Photography by ZC Architectural Photography Studio
Words by Sonia Zhuravlyova
As part of China’s drive for rural renewal, practice AD Architecture, based in Shenzhen in southeastern China, has completed Future Artspace H, a whitewashed, angular exhibition and function venue in the village of Shiyihe.
The centre, commissioned by Future Vision, a Shantou-based consultancy dedicated to commercial art and management, is intended to introduce commercial art to the residents and help foster a new creative community around it.
AD Architecture’s chief designer Xie Peihe, well aware of the disharmonious evolution of the built environment in many small villages, crafted the low-slung building to bridge the past with the present.
Photography by ZC Architectural Photography Studio
‘Box-like new constructions built amid traditional houses are erasing traditional architectural aesthetics,’ he says. ‘As a professional designer, I felt the responsibility to do something to activate and redefine these lifeless rural neighbourhoods.’
To make the building as accessible and flexible as possible, the architect created “empty” spaces. The concrete and steel building is a blank slate that can be used for traditional purposes, such as wedding receptions and banquets, as well as for art exhibitions and cultural events.
Playing with abstract shapes and clean, clear lines, the design team created a structure that references traditional courtyards, creating a strong link between the inside and the outside and the build environment and nature, as well as fostering a dialogue between architecture and the people who use it.
Photography by ZC Architectural Photography Studio
What’s more, the minimalist white structure’s eye-catching curves and angles make the most of the strong light, playing with shadows to make it a dynamic and engaging space.
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