China's latest cultural monument is the Hengqin Culture and Art Complex, an impressive architectural wonder.
Hengqin Culture & Art Complex Opens in China's Hengqin New Area
The Hengqin Culture & Art Complex, a new megastructural destination in the Hengqin New Area, China, is now open to the public. Strategically located at the southernmost point of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, this vast complex is designed by renowned architect Kengo Kuma.
The complex, dubbed the 'Living Hall of the Grand Bay Area', spans over 142,560 sq m and serves as the epicenter of the local community and cultural scene. It is home to nine different departments, including a library, archive, cultural center, art gallery, concert hall, science museum, and three separate activity centers for the elderly, the young, and women and children.
The structure forms a unique junction between open and closed public spaces. The parkside facade is defined by three monumental arches, each differently shaped and leading into three different halls. The arches are clad in bamboo panels, as are the curved walls and ceiling of the semi-enclosed amphitheatre at the river end of the long, stepped structure.
The main body of the building is clad in a suspended glass curtain and contains a number of modular units that can be used for various activities. The ground floor houses the Exhibition Hall, with a circular roof and glazed arched openings at either end, and the Performance Hall, featuring a large open stage, a traditional black box theatre, and distinctive spiral staircases.
One of the most striking features of the complex is the Knowledge Hall, a 'Book and Literature Reading Center'. This area is modelled after a vertical village of crystal book blocks. The architects have also incorporated an 'urban living room' inspired by the Oodi Library in Finland by ALA Architects.
The upper level of the complex is a landscaped park, a symmetrical arrangement of precisely aligned steps and stairs that cascades down four storeys to the waterfront. On the rooftop, the gardens include a children's play area, a shared garden with staff canteen and facilities, and an 'environmental zone', intended as a 'sort of ecological laboratory'.
The architects, aiming to expand the definition of architecture and push the boundaries of traditional design, have referenced natural features like caves and cliffs in the way the topography shifts between zones and functions within the complex. Moreover, the building's facade has been carefully engineered to withstand the region's frequent summer typhoons.
The Hengqin Culture & Art Complex is envisioned to be a vibrant, three-dimensional vertical city hosting millions of tourists each year and a growing community of local residents. The riverside frontage of the building includes a semicircular stage and circular auditorium, designed for public celebrations like weddings.
As the complex opens in stages following completion last autumn, it is set to become a significant cultural and tourist attraction in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
