Location Zhangjiakou, China
Site Area 60000m2
Floor Area 20000m2
Status Under Construction
Design Architect O Studio Architects
Local Design Institute Beijing TCFH Construction Consultants Ltd.
Snowland Cultural Center is located at a beautiful valley of Hebei Province in China. Being the first project to be constructed as part of a ski resort development, this building does not only accommodate diverse cultural, leisure and commercial activities, but also serve as a reservoir to store water for the use of the surrounding resort facilities. The original design brief requires a large pond on site as a reservoir, and a man-made island at the center of the pond for situating the 20000 square meter above-ground cultural center. The essential design decision made is to break the original brief – instead of mimicking the formal appearance of a natural lake, a “man-made” formal expression for the pond is explicitly made to converse with the surrounding nature; instead of overwhelming the tranquility of the nature by massive built forms and vivid cultural and commercial activities, the architecture is made hidden under the water surface.
Following this decision, a circular reservoir is proposed in the valley as a mirror to reflect the seasonal changes of mountains and sky. The main programs of the cultural center such as exhibition, performance, wedding, F&B and car parks are placed under the water surface, and village-like small galleries are located above water. The permanent exhibition hall is relocated to the adjacent hilltop and become the final destination of the cultural center. Walking up from the entrance plaza to the water surface, descending from the water surface to the cultural center, then walking up again to the small galleries and enjoy the scenery, then passing through the tunnel and elevator and finally get an overall bird eye view of the pond… the spatial experience is a juxtaposition of the tranquil beauty in nature and the vivid events taking place in the architecture.