The Chinese Cultural Hall is located to the east of the Sino-Italian Cultural Exchange Center. It can be reached from the Sino-Italian Pavilion through the cultural corridor surrounded by bamboo forests. The Chinese Cultural Hall is composed of multifunctional halls, meeting rooms, restaurants, piano pavilions, and tea rooms, and the design is filled of oriental charm.At the onset of the design process, the architect hoped to find an intersection of Chinese and Western cultural differences: the overall layout concept of the site was taken from the “ruyi”, used by China to gift foreign envoys since ancient times as a symbol of friendly relations and peace between the two countries. The east and west pavilions are connected by a cultural corridor, and it is surrounded by ponds and bamboo forests. The Chinese Cultural Hall and the Chinese-Italian Cultural Hall use Italian squares as their spatial prototypes. Through the creation of scenery, form, meaning, and emotion, they interpret the cultural philosophy of the harmony between man and nature in the Eastern world.

Scenery

The original site of the site is a bamboo forest, with a pond on the west side. The starting point is to preserve the bamboo forest as much as possible, and to integrate the building into the bamboo forest. The functions are scattered throughout the bamboo forest, and the courtyard wall separates the inner and outer courtyards. Three interior courtyards are interspersed so that the indoor space, courtyard, and bamboo forest tend to look at each other. A Chinese-style modern landscape garden is arranged in the courtyard to create a unique interior landscape. Stepping into the bamboo forest, stepping down, the piano room is hidden under the bamboo forest. The sound of the piano, the sound of wind, the swaying sound of bamboo leaves, and the light and shadow dancing under the bamboo forest are all integrated. Out of the bamboo forest, the tea room floats above the pond, full of sunlight, suddenly enlightened. Looking to the west, the Zhongyi Pavilion is reflected in the quiet water lily pond.

Form

The architectural form adopts a traditional wooden frame to carry out a modern translation and uses circular geometric elements. The continuous cross-shaped arch column extends from the interior to the exterior, and a transparent glass curtain wall eliminates the boundary, naturally drawing the outdoor scenery into the interior. The outdoor continuous circular hollow corridor frame creates a varied and quiet light and shadow experience. The courtyard wall extends from the cultural corridor, passing through the bamboo forests, connecting the houses in series, resembling the freehand brushwork and relaxation of Chinese calligraphy. The opposite view window hole on the courtyard wall is shaped like a drop of water, symbolic of nature.

Meaning

The Chinese Cultural Hall is composed of houses, courtyards, corridors, and landscapes. “Scenery” is an inseparable element of architecture. Architecture originates from scenery, is derived fromn scenery, merges with scenery, and eventually becomes a part of the scenery. It fully embodies the Eastern wisdom of Taoism, nature, and the unity of man and nature.

Passion

Through respect and use of nature, the Chinese Culture Hall integrates natural elements, including light, wind, sound, and smell. in order to create an emotional memory that exudes oriental charm. At the same time, it is also the best presentation of Sino-Italian cultural exchanges.

Technical Sheet
Architecture Firm: aoe
Client: Tianfu Investment Group Co., LTD
Built Status: Completed
Design Period: 2021

Building area: 353.9 Square Meters
Lead Architects: Wen Qun
Design Team: Ma Jianning, Fan Ruixue, Wang Ye, Chang Zhiyu, Pan Jichang, Li Xiangting,
Interior: Zhu Dan, Du Jing, Liu Jingyi, Xue Yawen,
Structural Engineer: CSCEC AECOM CONSULTANTS CO., LTD
Photo credits: Arch-Exist Photography

About aoe

aoe is headquartered in Beijing, China, and is staffed by a team of designers who balance scientific exactitude and creative innovation. Comprised of individuals from an international background, the team provides solutions to modern urban life based on scrupulous in-depth research. The firm’s work includes commercial, complex, cultural, office, hotel, high-end housing, education, planning, and interior design projects in more than 20 provinces and cities in China, with each design project winning the praise of its owners and producing a positive social impact. Its insightful, market-ready designs are a testament to its all-around excellent service. In an era of rapid development, aoe is a vehicle of progress with its vision for human life in cities of the twenty-first century.