Coldefy create ‘living canvas’ concept for new museum, gallery and concert hall

Work is progressing on the Bao'An Cultural and Artistic Centre in Shenzhen, designed by Tenderstream member Coldefy. The contest for the centre – first published in Tenderstream in 2016 – was launched by the Bao'an District Government to convert a former theatre into a concert hall, while creating a new museum, community centre and art gallery to display both traditional and cutting-edge art. Coldefy’s winning concept creates a fusion between art and architecture, designed to encourage and enrich the dialogue between the exhibits and the public. 

The concept, called ‘Living Canvas’, aims to maximize the scheme’s public dynamic. The site’s position at its heart of Bao-An, an economically important district, ensures its importance in the area’s future cultural landscape. The building is nestled between high-rise residential buildings and a commercial street, directly adjacent to the metro line and major circulation arteries. At its base, the city lobby acts as a public hall serving the shops and the metro, while linking the three entities that make up the centre. At a higher level, the sky lobby, a suspended public space, hosts cultural programs among outdoor green areas, offering a breathtaking view of Shenzhen and the bay.

The centre is conceived simultaneously as an art object and a container for art, with the institution’s programmes including many forms of cultural expression. The building is open, letting those within perceive the skyline of the city, while its form is fully integrated into the urban surroundings. Geometry is manipulated from the inside so that volumes are shifted, with the voids between them filled with vegetation. A translucent façade, inspired by a marble quarry, is a living canvas that reflects the interactions between the city, its people and art. 

Lucy Nordberg
Tenderstream Head of Research

This tender was first published by Tenderstream on 27.07.2016 here

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