WuliEpoch Culture Center, Beijing, Chinese Architecture Images

WuliEpoch Culture Center in Beijing

post updated 6 Dec 2020 ; 25 Nov 2020

WuliEpoch Culture Center

Design: Atelier Alter Architects PLLC

This building is a 2A Continental Architectural Awards 2020 winner for the Asia category.

Location: 99 Heishitou Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing, China

photo © Highlite Images

WuliEpoch Culture Center attempts to create a triptych for architecture, landscape and interior design in the project. While the project is encompassed by the splendor Western Hills, the architecture and interior design put up an immersive show within the landscape.

photo © Atelier Alter Architects

The distance landscape is introduced to the project in a dynamic rather than static way. A continuous path wrapped around from exterior to interior. The first nature of landscape and the second nature of the interior space join seamlessly through the path. The ambience along the path is circumferential and religious to some extend, as a way to worship nature.

photo © Atelier Alter Architects

As the site is triangulated, the project responses to the site, by stacking layers of curve walls, in a crisscrossing fashion to create layers of courtyards. Spatial demarcations are horizontal walls on the ground or suspended in the air. Seeking a dialogue with the courtyard house in Beijing, as well as the Great Wall scenery nearby, the material used for the project is carefully proportioned masonry wall, and it is used throughout landscape, architecture and interior design.

photo © Atelier Alter Architects

A uniform tone brings historic gravitas to the project. The project encompasses a 1500sm space for community and a 400sm skating rink.

photo © Highlite Images

The project interprets nature in three ways:
1. the interior space depicts nature in a digital fashion. The signature image of “autumn foliage in Western Hills” is depicted the field of glittering wooden laminated aluminum panels. The array of ceiling panels change color from warm yellow to white, suggesting the transition from entrance to skating ring. An “inverted Western Hills” is created by various curving array of ceiling panels.

photo © Atelier Alter Architects

2. First nature and second nature are juxtaposed and joined simultaneously. Recycle concrete blocks are cut into thin pieces and put together to form curving nature surfaces. The hills and waterfalls, created by thin masonry and lighting, show the solidification and abstraction of nature. The contrast between the mortal and immortal nature gives people space to think critically about nature.

3. Distance landscape is introduced into the interior in a dynamic way. Landscape becomes a living space.

photo © Highlite Images

WuliEpoch Culture Center in Beijing, China – Building Information

Architecture and Interior Design: Atelier Alter Architects PLLC

Completion Year: 2018
Gross Built Area: 2880 sqm
Cost: 40 million
Project location: 99 Heishitou Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing, China

Lead Architects: YingFan Zhang, Xiaojun Bu

Additional Credits
Design Team: YingFan Zhang, Xiaojun Bu, Ping Jiang, Wei Huang, Zhenwei Li, Ran Yan, Lairong Zheng, Jue Wang, Leilei Ma, Bo Huang, Chuan Qin, Lianhua Liu, Chunyu Cao, Jiang Wu, Weicong Lin

Client: Sino Ocean Real Estate
Structure: Beijing Saturni Engineering Consultant Co., Ltd. – Qing Zuo, Duomin Wang, Bin Ma, Yue Yu
Landscape Design: LANDAU International Design
MEP: Gong Cheng, Zhenwei Li
FF&E: Design Republic
Lighting design: Beijing Guanghu Purilighting Co., Ltd.

General contractor: Sino Ocrean Real Estate
Interior contractor: SDCIC Construction Group Co., Ltd.
Curtain wall construction: Sino Ocrean Real Estate
Landscape construction: Sunshine Landscape

photo © Atelier Alter Architects