YULIN Artistic Center / CHALLENGE DESIGN

Curated by 韩双羽 - HAN Shuangyu

Architects: CHALLENGE DESIGN
Area: 1640 m²
Year: 2019
Photographs:Fancy Images
Manufacturers: Canfor, Norbord
Lead Architects: Jie Lee, Peng Xu, Liang Zhu, Juan Li
Interior Design: Chongqing Dasong Architectural Design Co.Ltd.
Landscape Design: Chongqing Sanyantang Real Estate Consultant Co.Ltd
Wood Construction: JAZBUILD
Lighting Design: PINKO Lighting Design

Text description provided by the architects. By pursuing simplicity of materials and construction rather than complicated virtuosity, the architects combined the natural landscape with pure design, creating a delicate, almost- unperceivable boundary between the building and natural landscape to present the most fitting work.

Topping the Cliffs
Topping the cliff in Longxing, Chongqing, YULIN Artistic Center overlooks the panoramic scenery far into the distance. The building topping the paramount cliff reflects the minimalist design concept by following the natural landscape. By making full use of the dramatic height drop and ingenious angles, the scenery is presented to the fullest extent. Like a natural part of the mountain itself, the Artistic Center can be seen from a mile away, resembling a crane of legend standing on a rock, opening its wings and showing its grandeur and magnificence.

The Artistic Center highlights transparency and lightness, and responds to the balance between architecture and nature. It demonstrates both tender emotions and the subtle relations between human and nature, as represented by the soaring partitions. Visitors can reach the Artistic Center via the 30-meter glass elevator in the northeast of the building.

Dimensions of Space
The architects upheld clear, rational and logical thinking when dividing interior function spaces and manifested the interior construction rules in tangible designs. The complex, braced up with simple but clean geometric lattice, consists of an exhibition center, time-lapse gallery, spherical video hall, infinity pool on the cliff’s edge, terrace bar, etc., integrating indoor and outdoor spaces to present an unobstructed, continuous view.

The large glass wall which runs along the visible side of the artistic Center blurs the boundaries, allows the Artistic Center and surrounding natural scenery to echo each other, and perfectly embodies the artistic essence of contemporary architecture and modern materials.

An elegant spherical element is added to the minimal building to offer visitors a richer experience, and the interspersed materials, shapes and blocks form the essence of the artistic center, resulting in a building that combines tenderness and strength. All of these features make the Artistic Center the best demonstration of "construction".

Perceiving the Lattice
The rationality of the structure is demonstrated in its interior orders and expressions. The glulam structure rationalizes its necessity while the rhombus lattice underscores continuity in space. The structural aesthetics perfectly integrate sense and sensibility, humanity and nature, engineering and craft, and modesty and exposure, as well as a sense of form with a sense of power.

The highly sequential spacing of the 3.7 × 2.3 m-sized wooden rhombus lattice presents viewers with a thrilling experience rather than a disordered visual impact. The functions, outline and construction form a delightful contrast. The glulam structure creates a less empty and more layered and artistic space.

Endowed with aesthetic features, glulam materials are not only part of the structure but also used as decor to enrich the space. In such a structure, the interior is closer to nature, creating an artistic atmosphere and a harmonious environment, and enriching the narrative of the space.

Shaping Light and Shadow
The surface patterns echo the rhombus lattice, giving full play to the art of repetition and magnifying the vision impact. Chongqing has insufficient daylight at certain time of the year. To answer to the restraint, the architects broke free from natural light and skillfully utilized the features of different materials to create a gentler and subtler interplay of light and shadow. The surface is no more than a thin layer between the interior and exterior spaces, breaking free from the traditional forms of walls and windows to create a visible interface between the two.

The surface consists of premium gray aluminum sheets arranged in triangle patterns. They were carefully designed by using parameterization to control variations in the angles. Sequential mathematical arrangements were adopted to realize exquisite changes on the surface and the elegant movement of the building.

Leveraging Craftsmanship
By using a glulam structure for main parts and light wooden frames for the walls and roof, the building transcends the limitations imposed by its cliff top location with most components prefabricated. The main parts were constructed in just three weeks of rainy days in winter. No tower crane was required, which helped to simplify construction site arrangements and reduce costs.

The wooden structural components were entirely manufactured by the factory in Yancheng. To ensure the aesthetics of the building, the intersections of the glulam columns and wooden roof beams are all hidden. This was achieved by cleverly connecting the steel components at the heads of the columns with the steel beams inside using bolts and reinforced rubber, thereby ensuring the simplicity of the building.

Present the features of the time through unique forms, techniques through construction and culture through substance. By applying the most exquisite elements and highest quality materials, we present the most fitting work.