Fuzhou Strait Culture and Art Centre by PES-Architects
06/11/2018.
Finnish sensibility to China [Mawei New Town, Fuzhou - Fujian] China
metalocus, ANTONIO G DE JUAN
metalocus, ANTONIO G DE JUAN
On October saw the opening of the Fuzhou Strait Culture and Art Centre in the southeastern Chinese Province of Fujian.
A ramp is connecting the plaza level to the main rooftop terrace, located above the main entrance “Concourse Lobby”, which is functionally connecting all five venues.. Photograph by Zhang Yong
The Fuzhou SCAC is located next to the Minjiang River. The building main entrance “Jasmine Plaza” is located on the building side facing the river. Fuzhou Strait Culture and Art Centre by PES-Architects. Photograph by Marc Goodwin
The Jasmine Plaza includes three single story buildings surrounded by public plazas, riverside decks, and topped with public roof terraces. Fuzhou Strait Culture and Art Centre by PES-Architects. Photograph by Zhang Yong
The facades are entirely clad with ceramic elements. The glazed façade of the venue foyers called the “Curved Galleries” are shaded on the exterior by white ceramic baguettes with a lens shaped profile. Fuzhou Strait Culture and Art Centre by PES-Architects. Photograph by Marc Goodwin
A spiral ramp is connecting the three public levels of the plaza, the low LiangCuo River level (hosting commercial functions), the Jasmine Plaza ground level, and the public roof terrace level. Fuzhou Strait Culture and Art Centre by PES-Architects. Photograph by Marc Goodwin
The white ceramic louvers are positioned so as to maximize the shading effect, and to miminize heat gain from the sunlight. Each louver is 1,8m long. Fuzhou Strait Culture and Art Centre by PES-Architects. Photograph by Marc Goodwin
The white ceramic louvers are positioned so as to maximize the shading effect, and to miminize heat gain from the sunlight. Each louver is 1,8m long. Fuzhou Strait Culture and Art Centre by PES-Architects. Photograph by Marc Goodwin
The main entrance Concourse Lobby is an open space to be used for cultural activities. The so called “Mushroom Columns” are hosting elevators and ventilation equipment. “Sky Blossoms” in the lobby ceiling are introducing daylight and create a connection between the ground level and the roof terrace above. Fuzhou Strait Culture and Art Centre by PES-Architects. Photograph by Marc Goodwin
The Curved Galleries double-curved interior wall surfaces are clad with bamboo profiles. These gallery spaces can be used for public activities. From here the visitors will enter into the five venues. Fuzhou Strait Culture and Art Centre by PES-Architects. Photograph by Marc Goodwin
The main entrance levels to the venues can be accessed via stairs from the Curved Galleries. Fuzhou Strait Culture and Art Centre by PES-Architects. Photograph by Zhang Yong
The sunlight entering the Curved Galleries is cut by the exterior ceramic louvers. Fuzhou Strait Culture and Art Centre by PES-Architects. Photograph by Marc Goodwin
For the Opera Hall and the Multipurpose Hall additional foyer spaces are leading to the upper balconies. The floor material in these more secluded spaces is solid bamboo. Fuzhou Strait Culture and Art Centre by PES-Architects. Photograph by Zhang Yong
The Opera Hall is designed for a 1600 seat audience. The shape is fully generated with the help of acoustic scripting tools, and the complex 3000m2 double-curved surface is clad with about 1.5 million custom developed ceramic tiles. Fuzhou Strait Culture and Art Centre by PES-Architects. Photograph by Marc Goodwin
The ceramic tile surfaces in the Opera Hall are combined with solid bamboo parts. The ceiling reflector is made of acrylic, back-lit by white, dimmable LED lighting. Fuzhou Strait Culture and Art Centre by PES-Architects. Photograph by Marc Goodwin
- The complex geometry of the Opera Hall is continued to the entrance corridors, creating a homogenously connected double-curved skin. Fuzhou Strait Culture and Art Centre by PES-Architects. Photograph by Marc Goodwin
The complex geometry of the Opera Hall is continued to the entrance corridors, creating a homogenously connected double-curved skin. Fuzhou Strait Culture and Art Centre by PES-Architects. Photograph by Marc Goodwin
The free form acoustic surfaces of the Opera Hall are fully clad with custom developed ceramic tiles. There are 13 different tile types, creating a floral pattern, inspired by the Jasmine, the city flower of Fuzhou. Fuzhou Strait Culture and Art Centre by PES-Architects. Photograph by Marc Goodwin
The Concert Hall is designed for a 1000 seat audience. Its walls are in the large scale composed of fractions of sphere surfaces, facing the audience seating area, and providing for the most functional acoustical shaping of the room. Fuzhou Strait Culture and Art Centre by PES-Architects. Photograph by Marc Goodwin
The sphere fragment walls of the Concert Hall are clad with white custom designed ceramic tiles. The ceramic tile are combined with solid bamboo material. The ceiling reflectors “Light Cloud” consist of back-lid acrylic surfaces. Fuzhou Strait Culture and Art Centre by PES-Architects. Photograph by Marc Goodwin
The stage floor of the Concert Hall as well as the back walls of the stage and choir balcony are made of solid bamboo material. Fuzhou Strait Culture and Art Centre by PES-Architects. Photograph by Marc Goodwin
The pattern of the ceramic tiles in the Concert Hall is a result of a complex acoustic script, developed to define the exact location of smooth/ reflective surfaces compared to rough/ diffuse surfaces. Fuzhou Strait Culture and Art Centre by PES-Architects. Photograph by Marc Goodwin
The “China White” ceramic tiles in the Concert Hall are CNC engraved with a floral pattern, inspired by the peony flower, the national flower of China since the Qing Dynasty. Fuzhou Strait Culture and Art Centre by PES-Architects. Photograph by Marc Goodwin
The Multipurpose Hall foyer walls are partly clad with solid CNC cut bamboo material, as a reference to the interior design of the hall. Fuzhou Strait Culture and Art Centre by PES-Architects. Photograph by Marc Goodwin
The Multipurpose Hall is designed for a 700 seat audience. The walls are clad with solid CNC cut bamboo blocks, shaped according to the acoustic needs. The roof is equipped with a flexible cable net ceiling to enable a flexible usage of lighting and other technical equipment. Fuzhou Strait Culture and Art Centre by PES-Architects. Photograph by Marc Goodwin
The main stalls seating area in the Multipurpose Hall is retractable to enable a standing audience and even-level functions. Fuzhou Strait Culture and Art Centre by PES-Architects. Photograph by Marc Goodwin
Model. Fuzhou Strait Culture and Art Centre by PES-Architects. Photograph by Marc Goodwin
Model. Fuzhou Strait Culture and Art Centre by PES-Architects. Photograph by Marc Goodwin
Model. Fuzhou Strait Culture and Art Centre by PES-Architects. Photograph by Marc Goodwin
Ground floor plan. Fuzhou Strait Culture and Art Centre by PES-Architects.
Terrace level plan. Fuzhou Strait Culture and Art Centre by PES-Architects.
Roof level plan. Fuzhou Strait Culture and Art Centre by PES-Architects.
Elevations. Fuzhou Strait Culture and Art Centre by PES-Architects.
Elevations. Fuzhou Strait Culture and Art Centre by PES-Architects.
Multipurpose hall plan. Fuzhou Strait Culture and Art Centre by PES-Architects.
Multipurpose hall section. Fuzhou Strait Culture and Art Centre by PES-Architects.
Opera hall plan. Fuzhou Strait Culture and Art Centre by PES-Architects.
Opera hall section. Fuzhou Strait Culture and Art Centre by PES-Architects.
Concert hall plan. Fuzhou Strait Culture and Art Centre by PES-Architects.
Concert hall section. Fuzhou Strait Culture and Art Centre by PES-Architects.
The Centre designed by PES-Architects comprises of a 1600 seat opera hall, a 1000 seat concert hall and other performance and exhibition spaces. PES-Architects is one of Finland’s leading architecture practices, whose past works include Helsinki Airport Terminals and the Marienkirche Concert Hall in Germany.
The Fuzhou Strait Culture and Art Centre is exemplary of Finnish interest in craft and detailing in the design of buildings as well as the highest standards of workmanship. PES-Architects collaborated with Taiwanese ceramic artist, Samuel Hsuan-yu, on the interior. The practice was established in 1968 in Helsinki and in 2010 PES-Architects opened their Shanghai studio.
The Fuzhou Strait Culture and Art Centre is exemplary of Finnish interest in craft and detailing in the design of buildings as well as the highest standards of workmanship. PES-Architects collaborated with Taiwanese ceramic artist, Samuel Hsuan-yu, on the interior. The practice was established in 1968 in Helsinki and in 2010 PES-Architects opened their Shanghai studio.
Description of project by PES-Architects
Helsinki and Shanghai based studio, PES-Architects, have completed their seventh project in China: the Fuzhou Strait Culture and Art Centre. Fuzhou is the capital and one of the largest cities in Fujian Province. It has been ranked one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the world. In 2013, the Fuzhou Government hosted an international invited competition for the Strait Culture and Art Centre with the goal of strengthening the cultural image of the city and the Mawei New Town development area.
PES-Architects’ winning proposal takes inspiration from the petals of a jasmine blossom, the city flower of Fuzhou. The flower is manifested in the formal language and colour of the architecture takes inspiration from the petals of a jasmine blossom, the city flower of Fuzhou. The five jasmine petal venues — opera house (1600 seats), concert hall (1000 seats), multi-functional theatre, art exhibition hall and cinema centre — are linked by a Cultural Concourse and a large roof terrace. The roof terrace is accessible via two ramps from the Jasmine Gardens as well as from the Central Jasmine Plaza, providing a seamless connection from the complex to the riverfront of the Minjiang River. On the underground level, a promenade-like route along the Liangcuo flood river connects the landscape to the interiors, as well as providing a connection between the metro station and the Centre.
Pekka Salminen, Founder of PES-Architects describes the scheme, “Dividing the large complex into smaller units gives the Centre a more human scale and makes it easy for users to navigate both indoors and outdoors. Each building has a core area — a semi-public, curved gallery that follows the curvature of the main façade — that integrates the public interior space with the landscape of the Jasmine Gardens around the building and further with the Mahangzhou island natural reserve in front of the Centre.”
Ceramics
Ceramic is used as the project’s main material due to its significance in the historical context of the maritime Silk Road trade connection between China and the rest of the world. PES-Architects worked with Taiwanese ceramic artist Samuel Hsuan-yu Shih to design the artistic ceramic interior for two main auditoriums according to acoustical demands, using the legendary “China White” material and new technology. All façades are clad with white ceramic tiles and louvres, while both the opera hall and concert hall showcase this cultural material in innovative and creative ways in the acoustic wall surface.
The interior surfaces of the opera hall and concert hall are clad with topographical ceramic panels. Based on extensive studies carried out with the acousticians, two types of acoustic panels were developed: an engraved panel and a mosaic tile panel. Both panels are adaptable to the topographical surfaces that are required to achieve high quality acoustics, as well as the visual language of the design.
Bamboo
The Multipurpose Hall is designed for a 700 seat audience. The walls are clad with solid CNC cut bamboo blocks, shaped according to the acoustic needs. The roof is equipped with a flexible cable net ceiling to enable a flexible usage of lighting and other technical equipment.
More information
Architects
PES-Architects. Pekka Salminen (chief designer), Martin Lukasczyk (project architect), Samuel Hsuan-yu Shih (ceramic artist), Lai Linli (project manager)
Main design team
Li Wei (project coordinator), Guang Xiaojing (project manager), Yizhou Zhao, Masahide Nakane, Matti Kankkunen, Anna Blomqvist, Clara Juan, Uros Kostic, Antonio Barquinha, Martin Genet, Dou Jian
Local architect
Xu Zongwu, CCEDGC Co. Ltd.
Client
Fuzhou New Town Development Investment Group Co., Ltd.
Measurements
Area.- Gross area 153,000 sqm. Programme.- Opera House (1,600 seats), Concert Hall (1,000 seats), Multi-functional Theatre (700 seats), Art Exhibition Hall, Cinema Centre. Height.- 62 metres
Pekka Salminen, Tuomas Silvennoinen, Jarkko Salminen, Arttu Suomalainen PES–Architects
PES–Architects’ Shanghai studio was established in 2010, although the architects have been working in China since 2003. During this period, the practice has won 1st prizes in nine Chinese architectural competitions and worked in just under twenty different cities in the country. The Wuxi Grand Theatre was completed in 2012 and the Icon Yunduan Tower in Chengdu in 2017. The practice was originally founded in Finland in 1968 by Pekka Salminen, with 2018 marking its 50th anniversary. Today, the Helsinki office employs over 70 staff and continues to work towards an architecture that embraces a cross-disciplinary approach. The practice is well-known in Finland for its often complex and wide- ranging building types. Important projects include: Helsinki Airport terminals; West Terminal 2 ferry terminal in Helsinki; Ring Rail Train Stations in Vantaa, Finland; and the Marienkirche Concert Hall in Germany.
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