Led by Ma Yansong, MAD Architects has revealed the design of the Anji Culture and Art Center in the Zhejiang Province in southeast China. The new center, covering a site area of about 149,000 square meters, features six event venues: a Grand Theater, a Conference Center, a Leisure Center, a Sports Center, a Youth Activity Center, and an Art Education Center. All functions are spread out beneath bamboo-leaves-inspired roofs, referencing the Anji area, known as the ‘bamboo and white tea’ town of China. Construction of the center has begun and is expected to be completed and in use by 2025.
The location of the new venue, measuring 120,000 square meters of built spaces, has been chosen for its transitional character, located between the urban fabric of the city to the east and the mountainous natural landscapes on its west side. The design takes cues from both influences, aiming to provide a porous and accessible meeting space from all directions. The project is arranged along a central corridor, which acts as an open outdoor platform framing views towards the mountains.
The different volumes of the building, covered with white-tiled roofs, converge to create a silhouette reminiscent of the surrounding hills planted with Anju white tea. Between the volumes, multiple courtyards provide space for pause and help create a softer transition between the outdoors and indoors while allowing natural light to enter. The outdoor activation is further enhanced by a large stage on the west side of the project, a space designed as a venue for performances, concerts, and exhibitions. The project also aims to optimize energy use by using permeable pavements, roof greening, recessed green spaces and rainwater resource utilization.
Beneath the overlapping roofs resembling scattered bamboo leaves, the façade is highly transparent to invite natural light through the side elevations. Measuring 17 meters in height, the self-supporting glass wall will become the tallest structure of this type in China. The main space of the Grand Theater and the Conference Center features two-to-three-story heights, while other venues use a partial second-floor layout to maximize both functionality and spatial qualities. The auditorium of the Grand Theater is designed to hold 1,300 seats, and the Conference Center accommodates 2,000 people.
Recently, MAD Architects has been selected as one of the finalists for the World Architecture Festival 2023, along with Foster + Partners, Biroe Architecture, COX Architecture, Dabbagh Architects, and more. Another prominent project from the office, the China Philharmonic Concert Hall in Beijing, nears completion, with the latest images revealing an undulating metal cladding wrapping the new residence for the Philharmonic Orchestra of China. Earlier this year, MAD Architects revealed the design of their first project in South America, the mixed-use "Qondesa" tower in Quito, Ecuador, soon to become the tallest building in the city.
