Hengqin Culture & Art Complex, China

Architecture studio Atelier Apeiron has completed the Hengqin Culture and Art Complex in China. The 142,560-square-metre complex was designed to house nine distinct functions - a library, an archives center, a concert hall, a cultural center, an art gallery, a science museum, a women's and children's activity center, an elderly activity center, and a youth activity center. On the lower level of the complex, Apeiron applied a geometric concept of inverted catenary (The inverted catenary describes an arch and it's the most stable shape an arch can have) to create three magnificent arches of differing shapes, articulating an architectural language that combines Chinese and Western elements. The Hengqin Culture and Art Complex held an opening ceremony on September 14, 2024.

Each arch leads into a unique space, comprising a Knowledge Hall, a Performance Hall, and an Exhibition Hall. In designing the Knowledge Hall, the firm drew inspiration from the Oodi library in Finland, where the function of the library has progressed beyond being just a space for reading services. The adjacent Performance Hall serves as a cultural performing arts center, with a large open stage and black box theater designed for productions of dance, music, theater, and opera. Finally, the Exhibition Hall is defined by its porous space, where 'cheese holes' invite scatters of natural light into a space conceived as a host venue for exhibitions of art and science.

Atelier Apeiron created a stepped-down form with a rooftop terrace stepping down from 36-meters high to a height of 24 meters facing the waterfront. The stacked rooftop creates three platforms, offering stunning views to the surrounding nature, and green space for community activities. The lowest platform is designed as a children's theme park featuring sand pits, play facilities, restaurants, and cafes. Staff canteens and garden spaces are located in the middle platform for visitors and employees to rest and relax. Two spiral staircases invite visitors to the top platform, where they will first meet with a bamboo garden that forms part of a rain garden with a variety of green plants. To draw natural light into the inherently dark spaces, the firm cut a skylight above the arches to form connections with the rooftop gardens and also incorporated two diffuse reflectors that direct soft sunlight into the rooms.

References:

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