studio505 creates cultural hub in wujin, china with phoenix valley

studio505 creates cultural hub in wujin, china with phoenix valley
photo by john gollings
all images courtesy of studio 505

designed by australian-based architecture office studio505, the recently completed ‘phoenix valley’ serves as a cultural hub for the young city of wujin, in china’s jiangsu province. the structure is formed around a central courtyard and features a patchwork of grasses on its roof. the 65,000 sqm building unifies a wide array of independently operated programs into one complex. these include four cinemas, a 1000 seat grand theater, a 5-story flexible art gallery, a youth palace (learning center) to educate 4000 students, an occupational experience hall, a sports and dance auditorium, and a selection of retail and food facilities.

the building volumes are shaped around a central public courtyard
photo by john gollings

commissioned based on a winning competition proposal, the architects’ scheme integrates an existing canal into the project’s landscape, which in turn informs the ‘valley’ concept of the structural arrangement. the primary building takes a U-shape in plan, with a roofline that gradually slopes upward. a smaller volume, containing the ‘gallery’, is located in the site’s center, serving to further enclose the courtyard space.

the roof, as well as a few courtyard walls, are covered in a patchwork of grasses
photo by john gollings

building systems technologies play a big role in the overall architectural qualities of ‘phoenix valley’. beyond the green roof, the structure includes built-in photovoltaics (BIPV) and solar thermal arrays, as well as large LED screens and tubes across many of its façades.

the complex’s main building gradually slopes upward
photo by john gollings

the façades are distinguished by a patterning of various colored panels
photo by john gollings

(left): a circulation atrium features a network of escalators passing through in varying directions
(right): the building includes a youth palace (learning center) to accommodate 4000 students
photos by john gollings

the grand theater is capable of hosting both traditional chinese opera and immersive digital performances
photo by john gollings

the walls and ceilings are wrapped in contours of LEDs
photo by john gollings

the youth cinema’s walls are covered in polygonally shaped  tiles
photo by john gollings

(left): slashes of light create a dynamic patterning on the main building
(right): the ‘gallery’ building fully illuminates by means of an integrated LED screen
photos by john gollings

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project info:

location: wujin, china
completion date: 
2013
client: 
wujin district people’s government
cost
: 450 million RMB
architecture: 
studio505
local design institute: 
nanjing university design institute
constructor: 
shanghai construction group
interior contractor
: gold mantis
photography: 
john gollings