Located on the eastern 3rd ring road in Beijing, the white exterior of the Hongkun Art Gallery works a sculptural focal point for the area. Entering the gallery through an opening in the monolithic facade, the arch-like curves continue to the interior and gently merge into a clean white space for exhibiting the artworks. The open areas in the gallery offer a wide space for themed exhibition, while the gently curved entrance part draws people into the space and guides them naturally further into the gallery.
The arc itself is a shape which origins from a cave. The cave is the birth - place for art and architecture. And it has been used for thousands of years as a transmitter for art and history. Therefor we tried to find a new connection from the tradition to a modern way to exhibition art. The solid expression of the exterior continually merges with a carved out interior and increases the sculptural appearance of the gallery. Multiple arches altering in size and orientation create a continuous, gentle curve which becomes a sculptural interpretation of the landscape paintings, that are exhibited in the gallery.
Within the arches, the entrance sculpture inhabits an information desk, a coatroom and the main circulation staircase, which guides visitors to the basement with a special exhibition hall and employees to the office area located on the mezzanine level.
