YuanHengLi Art Center

Project Name: YuanHengLi Art Center

Location: Beijing, China

GFA: 13,656m²

In Design

2021-2022

The design of this project is inspired by the ancient Chinese wooden mortise and tenon-Luban lock, also known as Kongming lock, Bagua lock and Liuzi Lianfang. The technique of wood mortise and tenon construction not only reflects the practical application of wood as a natural material, but also reflects the wisdom of Chinese people in wood splicing technology.

The design starts from the lap joint between woods, and the concept of form comes from the mortise and tenon joint of Luban Lock. The intersection of wood structures is reflected at the street turning and at all corners of the building, which enlarges the concept of mortise and tenon. With the extension between the four corners, the facade of the building twists, forming an elegant and gradual curved surface, which not only reflects the toughness, softness and smoothness of the wood, but also integrates the facade and the internal space. This kind of twist continues to the roof, forming an undulating roof, which complements the urban environment of Songzhuang.

The facade of the building adopts light gray brick and wood texture curtain wall, and the gray brick is harmonious with the metropolitan environment, while the slightly warm wood texture has brought some vitality to the city. The surface is generated by double-sweep technique, and the overlapping surfaces weave the two materials together. The combination of gray brick and wood also reflects the characteristics of Chinese traditional brick-wood architecture.

The site opens to the city in the southeast corner, forming an open city square, warmly inviting citizens to come. In the south, there is a café under the plaza, serving drinks. The sloping green space connecting the ground level to the café area boost a vibrant city life. A landscape shallow pool is set near the entrance to keep a certain distance between the pedestrian flow, which is conducive to the diversion of the pedestrian flow. On the east side of the building, the facade of the building is gradually twisted and opened, forming a transparent interface. The line of sight can directly reach the mahogany exhibits inside the building, thus completing the interaction with the city.