The project is located in Dongguan, Guangdong province, China, and is a multi functional building for art, with several different functions. The project was approved at conceptual stage by the municipality of the city of Dongguan and its construction is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2016.
The concept is a set of green cubes packed with sculptural surface as a part of cubes go beyond the area of the main building. Green cubes symbolize the nature and provide optimum micro climate in the area. The second topic is the sculptural surface which symbolizes a paper sheet /Chinese people discovered the paper for the world and the paper is basically the main creative artistic tool by itself for each and every artist/.
"The sheet of paper" will be made by material named “Corian“ by Dupont Company and will have an interactive features. In view of the fact that the building is situated between two rivers on a peninsula, it is the main visual point of view from one of the city's main roads, but also from the opposite shores of the river. For this reason "the sheet of paper" /the sculptural surface / would be used for multimedia purposes. Pictures, commercials, movies, fragments from the exhibition inside the building and etc. can be projected there. “Corian Dupont” is a material with an option to be translucent. In reality the surface will be white but due to its little transparency and using backlight, the light will change the color of the surface.
The complex is situated on a plot situated on a peninsula which is formed by the flow of two rivers. The plot of the building is divided into four sections by public roads and the object of the project is also the landscape design of these four areas /though two of them are outside the regulation lines of the plot, owned by the municipality, but also have to be developed in this project in the part of the landscape design following the idea to have a link between the project and the surrounding land outside its borders /.
A pedestrian street and square in front of the building are designed by the riverside, which will be used for various events. The access to the plot is from the two public streets and an external and underground parking for visitors are designed.
On the South a second square is forming. There are placed commercial buildings for rent. These buildings are located partly in a fancy water area. These green cubes" would be rented for studios and shops for art.
The project provides maximum preservation of the existing vegetation and adding a new one. The water, greenery, the white free surface are the basic motives and the purpose is to create a clean overall ensemble.
The main building is expected to be 5 floors tall.
The complex has a total built up area of 60,100 square meters and includes the following features:
-Art Gallery - 40975 m2
-Art Hotel - 3500m2 / 30 rooms /
-Studios for Artists - 4500m2 / 20 studios /
-Art Shopping Mall - 6000m2
-Club for the artist - 1525m2
-Small commercial buildings for art - 3600m2 / 8 buildings X 450m2 /
First and second floors
Here will be the art gallery. An entrance area with a lobby, reception desk, toilets, etc. is envisaged. The entrance in the exhibition area is through access control. Inside the exhibition would provide several different themed exhibition areas / local artists, an international exhibition area, temporary exhibitions /. They will be seen in succession one after another. On the periphery of the main route of the visitors would have functional zones as: conference block /with conference hall and cinema / cafe, library, tea house, a multimedia area and more.
On this floor retail space is envisaged, as well as administrative offices
/offices, the Directorate for Personnel, catalogs, copying, library, archive and other /. The administrative area will have a separate outside entrance and functional connection with the interior of the halls. Here would be also the storage area for exhibits and other technical facilities.
A natural lighting from the north and also overhead lighting is envisaged.
At the end of the road the visitors, with escalators, will go on the second floor.
On the 2nd floor there are exhibition halls, art hotel with lobby, reception, lobby bar, restaurant and etc.
From this floor man have direct access to the club of the artist, the art shopping mall and the studios for artists.
3rd floor
It provides commercial art center. It will be organized as an exhibition and at the end of the zone there will be a cash zone, and each visitor will be able to buy a piece of art.
On this floor there will be also a part of the art hotel, an area for artists where they can work and other spaces. The floor is connected to the first floor and at the same time through access control has a separate entrance.
4th floor
It contains hotel rooms, studios for artists and studios for different arts.
5th floor
On this floor there will be a club of the artist, a panoramic restaurant and relaxation and VIP areas overlooking the river.
The complex is of particular importance for the development plan of the municipality of Dongguan, and the municipality actively promote and tolerate its construction as part of program for cultural development of the city. The project is expected to become one of the symbols of Dongguan and will be used for advertising the city, which is planned with the technical solutions in the design, one of them for example is the use of the riverside facade as a display for showing ads and events from the cultural life of city.