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
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.
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.
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.
Petal-like shapes have been CNC-cut into the dropped ceiling to accommodate lighting.
Similarly flower-esque forms animate the flooring, eventually poured with terrazzo. Photography by Alice (2).
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.
The commune, which can accommodate 80 people, is divided into three main areas, with the first level able to host smaller gatherings.
Floored with terra-cotta tile, the lounge and tea bar doubles as exhibition space.
The color of the workshop space telegraphs the rural setting.
read more
DesignWire
Sustainability In Action: Behind The Design Of The Hotel Marcel
How a once-vacant brutalist structure in New Haven, Connecticut designed by Marcel Breuer in 1970 became the Leed Platinum-certified Hotel Marcel.
DesignWire
10 Questions With… Artist And Designer Jan Ernst
Blurring the lines between art and design, Jan Ernst creates both sculptural and functional pieces that are inspired by nature and reflect craftsmanship.