van Gogh’s Palette Shapes A Community Center In China

Y.ad Studio plants a Vincent van Gogh–inspired community center promoting local agriculture and arts in central China.

Baihua Commune Blooms With The Help From Y.ad Studio

• 30 architects and contractors led by Y.ad Studio founder and chief architect Yan Yang
• 8,000 Square Feet
• 5 Months of Design
• 4 Months of Construction

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An axonometric diagram of Baihua Commune, a conference center by Y.ad Studio, illustrates the first phase of the touristic Tangchi Pastoral Hub, located in a picturesque agricultural valley about 1 hour south of Hefei, a regional capital in central China of almost 10 million people. Courtesy of Jiangsu Zhongfa Architectural Design Co.

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The center’s color palette was derived from Vincent van Gogh’s late 19th–century painting series Wheat Field with Cypresses as well as the surrounding paddy fields. 

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A motif akin to a blossoming plant is reflected in the structure’s interior architecture and furniture. Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, the Annenberg Foundation Gift, 1993.

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Petal-like shapes have been CNC-cut into the dropped ceiling to accommodate lighting.

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Similarly flower-esque forms animate the flooring, eventually poured with terrazzo. Photography by Alice (2).

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Windows fitted with laser-cut acrylic resemble stained glass in the main conference hall of Baihua Commune, which is named after Princess Baihua, a beautiful and magical character from a popular Chinese folktale, and part of the Tangchi Pastoral Hub of soon-to-come restaurants and a hotel, near hot springs and the existing Chinese Rice Culture Museum.

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The commune, which can accommodate 80 people, is divided into three main areas, with the first level able to host smaller gatherings.

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Floored with terra-cotta tile, the lounge and tea bar doubles as exhibition space.

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The color of the workshop space telegraphs the rural setting.