Rise and Fall draw on the memory of the place
Located in the Ningxia Plain, on the upper reaches of the Yellow River, Yinchuan is a city within the Hui Autonomous Region of China. It is divided into two main areas: one with industrial zones and the other preserving numerous national relics, earning it the title of an ancient city. The Helan Mountain Range runs through Yinchuan, often referred to by locals, and its imagery is intricately woven into the environment and local context, becoming a significant element. The sturdy form conveying the stability of the mountains lends strength to the presence of the buildings.
Functioning as a space for art appreciation, the Art Center also serves as a community center to bring the local community closer. The building, divided into two parts on opposite corners, comprises an Art Center themed around art and nature and a Rock Park focused on sports. The low-slung roofs covering each of them prominently are largely due to the plan to alleviate the building’s impact on the residential area behind the Art Center by placing most of the 4,100m² space underground. The L-shaped structure, embracing the central water space, integrates with the garden, evoking the undulating natural terrain and traditional sloping roofs.
A angular glass lighthouse erected at the entrance contrasts with the building’s natural organic form, illuminating the garden. Symbolically, it signifies the intervention of a new structure into the site. Emphasizing the elements of stone and mountain, primitive materials such as slate roof tiles and aluminum plates with a wood texture reduce the barrier between the building and nature, resonating with the flow of the mountains.
The building is designed with simplicity in mind. Through the surfaces of the sloping roof over the large void, it communicates the collective memory deeply ingrained in the local community. This spatial experience at the local level will continue to build new layers of time and memory.
Project: JIANFA · NATURAL PRIDE Art Center, Yinchuan / Location: Yinchuan, China / Architect: Arch-Age-Design (AAD) / Project team: Wei Silei, Zhang Ying, Su Zhicheng / Project chief designers: Yang Qiang, Yao Shixiong, Lin Xiaoda / Client: Yinchuan Jianfa Group Co., Ltd. / Bldg. area: 4,100m² / Design: 2020~2021 / Photograph: ©Zou Fenghan (4U STUDIO) (courtesy of the architect)
