Nanhai Art Center, Foshan City, Guangdong, China, project: MAD Architects
Published in l'Arca International 179
The Nanhai Art Center includes three major
functions: the Grand Theatre, the Museum, and the Sports Center. When completed,
it will provide the citizens of Guangzhou and Foshan with a new public gateway
on the waterfront, harmonizing social, creative, and natural attributes. The
development is located in Nanhai Cultural District, the heart of the
Guangdong-Hongkong-Macao Greater Bay Area, an important urban site that bridges
the cities of Guangzhou and Foshan.
The Nanhai Art Center resembles a continuous wave of water, with three main buildings looming underneath the floating sun canopy. The programs are planned on both sides of the central axis. The total floor area of the Grand Theater and the Museum is about 89,269 m2 on one side of the central axis, of which the Grand Theater includes a 1,500-seat amphitheater and a 600-seat multi-purpose hall, for a variety of performances and conferences; the Museum will meet the standards of a national-level museum upon completion.
The Sports Center is located on the other side of the site, with a gross floor area of about 32,006 m2 containing swimming pools, basketball courts, badminton courts, and other types of sports spaces and facilities. The permeable facades allow nature to flow through the site back to the city. The two-story landscape platform extends outward, organically linking the central lake, riverfront park and urban space, achieving a harmonious balance between nature and architecture.
Commercial spaces are placed along the lake, radiating architectural texture to the lakeshore landscape belt. Cultural spaces are interspersed. The second-floor viewing platforms and outdoor patios connect three main functions together, also with the commercial and F&B space below to complete the visitor experiences and loop circulation. The top of the platform serves as a pedestrian space leading to the cultural spaces entrances.
Under the translucent white ETFE membrane structure roof, the Nanhai Arts Center incorporates energy-saving and environmentally friendly technologies, including photovoltaic power generation, rainwater collection, and vertical greening systems. Construction of the Nanhai Arts Center is scheduled to begin in 2024 and to be completed in 2029.
Client: Foshan Nanhai Youwei Baiyue Culture Co.; Project: MAD Architects; Principal Partners in Charge: Ma Yansong, Dang Qun, Yosuke Hayano; Associate Partners in Charge: Kin Li, Liu Huiying; Design Team: Li Cunhao, Zhang Ying, Yoshio Fukumori,Rozita Kashirtseva, Hao Ming, Orion Campos, Zhang Lipei, Gao Chang, Zeng Tianxing, Li Yuchen, Ma Ran, Hemant Jindal, Jiang Yunyao, Zhou Rui, Ma Yiran, Zhang Tong, Peng Wanjing; Contractor: Foshan Nanhai Liyayuan Real Estate Development; Executive Architects: Tongji Architectural Design (Group); Landscape Consultant: Earthasia; Lighting Consultant: Ning Field Lighting Design Stage Craft; Consultant: China Institute of Arts Science & Technology
