Location: Shenzhen, China.

Architect: Coldefy & Associates.

The Bao’an Art and Cultural Center in Shenzhen is a large complex of over 90,000m2 that will be located in a historic part of the city. The building is designed to be a “living canvas” that can be shared and experienced by both artists and visitors. It features generous spaces where art works can escape from traditional exhibition rooms, and it is intended to foster a dialogue between avant-garde creations and the public. The building is characterized by a large sculpted split that gives it permeability and breaks with institutional codes. The complex contains three programs: a museum, an art gallery, and an exhibition hall that includes a community theater and educational facilities, as well as administrative and technical functions for each of the three entities. The City Lobby on the ground floor serves the shops and metro, and links the three programs. The Sky Lobby level features a “floating” public plaza where cultural programs are found alongside green, open spaces. The building’s layout is shaped from within, shifting the volumes to provide new vantage points over Shenzhen and the Bay. The “living canvas” concept is also expressed through the desire to connect all indoor areas with the exterior, ensuring a constant dialogue between the building and its environment. In the heart of the building, the “canvas” splits open to reveal a large glazed hall on a higher level, providing a new 360° view over the city. Construction is set to begin in the third quarter of 2019.

Photo credit: Coldefy & Associates.