Danish architecture studio Schmidt Hammer Lassen has completed a multi-functional art centre in Beijing, referencing the shape of a granary that once occupied the site.
Located in the Tongzhou district in east Beijing, China, the centre sits near the starting point of the over 2,500-year-old Grand Canal and comprises an opera house, a theatre and a concert hall.
Beijing Art Centre comprises three buildings and contains an opera house, a theatre and a concert hall
"We always think of this project as a 'container of culture'," said Chris Hardie, design director of Schmidt Hammer Lassen (SHL's) Shanghai office and the lead architect of the project.
"This used to be the Tongzhou granary that stored food for the capital," he added. "Now we want to create a 'cultural granary' that carries local and global culture, creating an important hub for promoting art and culture in Beijing." The roof design was informed by a granary that once stood on the site
The centre is comprised of three buildings defined by their swooping roof structures. These were informed by the ancient granary that once sat alongside the Grand Canal, which connects Beijing and Hangzhou.
Their folding facades also nod to the sails of old canal boats, as well as the movement of theatre curtains.
A shared platform connects the three architectural volumes, extending the interior space to the surrounding landscape via a series of steps, which creates a viewing point of the nearby Grand Ca...