Placing third place out of 69 entries in an international competition for a new cultural building in Shenzhen, China, Mecanoo’s proposal for the Bao’an Public Culture and Art Center aiming to re-evaluate the “inwardly focused identity of cultural facilities in Hong Kong," through the form of an elevated cube. Situated near the Bao’an Metro Station and the Binhai School, the Dutch firm responds to the site’s challenges by reconnecting the center with its adjacent infrastructure.
The metro station and cultural center are united by the large masses of people that are channeled by the former and engaged but the latter. In order to capitalize on this condition, the design combines the metro entrance with that of the museum, thereby connecting the wider community with the arts and creating a more appealing public network.
By elevating the building’s cubic mass, a public square and sculpture garden are created at grade. “This cosmopolitan plaza will allow people, cultures, ideas and opportunities to blend,” state the architects. The design further interacts with the nearby school with sports fields connected through stepped landscaping on the northeast side.
In addition to the sports field and sculpture garden, the Art and Culture Center also includes a museum, art gallery, auditorium, restaurant, bookstore, meeting room, as well as service areas, which are organized around a central void, also functioning as an exhibition space. Though connected to the metro, underground parking is available in the building, catering to various commuters.
To learn more about the design, check out Mecanoo's video below.
News via: Mecanoo.
Seoul's New Community Art Complex Celebrates Cultural and Artistic Engagement
A competition organized by the Seoul Metropolitan Government for the design of a new local art complex has been won by Korean firm Arcbody Architects. The brief called for the development of a new cultural hub revolving around the arts, to capitalize on local historical infrastructure and provide opportunities for creative enjoyment, education, and research.
