Neri & Hu-designed art centre with pixellated façade opens its doors on China's Gold Coast
by Andrew Manns | 28 May 2019
– Lyndon Neri and Rossana Hu
The Neri & Hu-designed Aranya Art Center (AAC) has finally opened to the public in Qinhuangdao, China.
Situated opposite the Bohai Sea in an affluent resort community known as the "Gold Coast", the cultural hub comprises a café, an amphitheatre, a rooftop viewing area, and multiple galleries.
The building, which is composed almost entirely of concrete, also features a neo-Brutalist, pixellated façade.
According to Neri & Hu, the appearance of the structure is meant to evoke boulders that withstand the shifting sands and tides.
"It's a hybrid typology which combined design, art, and performance," explained the architects.
"The project pushes the boundaries of how architectural space deals with sensorial experiences in unexpected ways."
Set to serve as a community space and exhibition centre, AAC is one of several major art venues to rise on the Bohai Coast.
Recent projects in the area include OPEN Architecture's cavernous UCCA Dune Art Museum and Vector Architects' Lonely Library.
Neri Hu China Gold Coast Aranya
The space also features a stepped interior courtyard that will also double as a pond. Credit: Pedro Pegenaute
The neo-Brutalist structure is composed of 'various textured concretes'. Credit: Pedro Pegenaute
The building also features a rooftop terrace that provides unobstructed views of the coast. Credit: Pedro Pegenaute
10 May 2017
‘We’re interested in being subversive’ Lyndon Neri tells CLAD
FEATURE: CLAD people – Rossana Hu, Founding partner Neri & Hu
The Neri & Hu-designed Aranya Art Center (AAC) has finally opened to the public in Qinhuangdao, China. Situated opposite the Bohai Sea in an affluent resort community known as the "Gold Coast", the cultural hub comprises a café, an amphitheatre, a rooftop viewing area, and multiple galleries. The building, which is composed almost entirely of concrete, also features a neo-Brutalist, pixellated façade. According to Neri & Hu, the appearance of
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