Qingdao Laoshan Culture and Arts Center occupies a land area of 18,000 square meters, with a gross floor area of 44,864 square meters. It mainly comprises a library (11,852 sqm), a cultural center (7,965 sqm), and an art museum (14,589 sqm), with a floor area ratio of 1.91 and a building coverage rate of 39%.
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Qingdao Laoshan Culture and Arts Center
Cultural Architecture (Concept)
Firm
THE INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN & RESEARCH, SHENZHEN UNIVERSITY, CO., LTD.
Architect/Designer
Zhong Zhong, Zhong Botao, Li Yifan, Huang Yijing, Yang Xiaoying, Liu Xinguang, Hu Jinglan, Liu Chang, Cao Jiying, Chen Ailian, Han Guoyuan, Liu Mu, Tang Jin
Design Team
Zhong Zhong, Zhong Botao, Li Yifan, Huang Yijing, Yang Xiaoying, Liu Xinguang, Hu Jinglan, Liu Chang, Cao Jiying, Chen Ailian, Han Guoyuan, Liu Mu, Tang Jin
Location
Qingdao City, Shandong Province, China
Country
China
Photographer/Copyright
©SUIADR & Z&Z STUDIO
1. Cross Axes: An Integration of Mountains and Water
Located in the Zhangcun River area of Laoshan District, Qingdao City, the project site lies at the south bank of the Zhangcun River and west of Keyuan Jingqi Road. Positioned at the intersection of an east-west science and technology innovation axis and an ecological landscape axis, the site also features a north-south landscape corridor that links the landscape resources to its northern and southern areas.
2. Paper-Cutting as a Curtain: An Art Treasure Box
Inspired by local paper-cutting art of Laoshan, the design scheme creates custom metal mesh exteriors that envelop the three primary buildings. This abstract treatment unifies the buildings’ functions while presenting a cohesive and visually striking architectural identity. The three structures symbolize the Hall of Performance, the Hall of Knowledge, and the Hall of Art. Enveloped by the metallic mesh, these buildings are interconnected, resembling three gleaming gems in an “art treasure box.”
3. The Fusion of Five Elements
The library is encased in glass and surrounded by wooden sunshade grilles, evoking traditional Chinese aesthetics. The art museum is constructed with large red brick walls, while the cultural center, centrally located, is envisioned as a massive stone. Together, the three buildings symbolize earth, wood, and fire from the Five Elements, respectively, which are unified under a metal mesh cover inspired by paper-cutting art. On the north side, the waterscape theater features a pool that flows northward into the Zhangcun River. Together, these components achieve the harmony of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth—the Five Elements (also known as Wuxing) in Chinese philosophy.
4. Integrated Buildings: A Three-Dimensional Complex
To establish a cultural and arts complex for the new era of Laoshan, the design scheme adopts a layout where the three buildings—the art museum, cultural center, and library—are arranged side by side with their functional spaces vertically superimposed. This integration creates a cohesive architectural complex, enabling three-dimensional connectivity and functional interaction, fostering synergy between the three facilities.
5. Open Access: The Urban Living Room of Laoshan
With full consideration into functionality, circulation, and form, the design emphasizes openness, transparency, and adaptability, creating an inclusive and shared destination for citizens. Above the second-floor green floorslab lies a shared platform that connects the surrounding landscaped areas with the northern riverside grasslands, forming Laoshan’s first urban living room, which is accessible 24 hours throughout the day.