cultural space in beijing complete with digitally fabricated façade of high fiber concrete

built with high performance fiber concrete and parametric techniques, the digitally fabricated façade of the cultural space of no. 16 bangchiao marks it a unique addition to beijing‘s dongcheng district. the work of tanzospace design office, who collaborated with international studio antistatics for the design and manufacturing of the exterior surface, the building comprises an existing structure and the new, perforated addition. during morning hours, the façade creates lighting and shadow effects in the interior, while at night, it emits warm light to reveal a triptych of chairman mao’s prototypical portrait.

all images by xia zhi & shi yunfeng

the image of chairman mao expressed through the façade is a nod to the historical context of the site, located within a hutong alley in central beijing and adjacent to the people’s art house print shop, one of the primary producers of the chairman’s now iconic image. tanzospace design and antistatics have installed filters on the façade facing east and west in order to enable enough sunlight to enter the interior.

a small garden brings greenery inside the cultural space of no. 16 bangchiao, while the new addition wraps around a tree that was previously located in the alley. the tree is protected by a glass screen, which serves as a transition space between exterior and interior. an art museum, with a lounge, bar, and office is located on this floor, finished with a strong contrast between black and white together with elegant wooden details. tanzospace has connected different rooms through lighting, while natural elements have been introduced in the interior, including additional greenery on the third floor. in addition, a dining hall in japanese style characterized by brown and white hues has also been included within the cultural space.