Among the Clouds Art Center

Among the Clouds Art Center
Courtesy of Highlite Images

Among the Clouds Art Center

Yuan Architects

ARCHITECTS
Yuan Architects

LEAD ARCHITECT
Wenyuan Peng

CLIENTS
Forte Land Co., Ltd.

DESIGN TEAM
Ching Lu, Mingshao Gao, Hipwa Lee, Chenhsiang Gao, Hsiaojung Huang, Shihhsuan Li

AREA
1400 M²

YEAR
2020

LOCATION
Nanjing, China

CATEGORY
Mixed Use Architecture, Cultural Architecture, Public Architecture

Among the Clouds Art Center
Courtesy of Highlite Images

Located next to the Nanjing Tiebei City Park, the building serves as an art center. Its design attempts to subvert the impression of rigidity commonly associated with buildings with a vibrant organic form reminiscent of a sea of clouds, reflecting a natural harmony.

Among the Clouds Art Center
Courtesy of Highlite Images
Among the Clouds Art Center
Courtesy of Highlite Images

The building is composed of two basic elements: a staggered and stacked volume of two semi-reflective and translucent glass boxes on the inner side that simultaneously meet functional requirements and represent the building's static rationality;

five horizontal and transparent metal shutter sheets on the outer side that appear like a "flowing sea of clouds," freely moving apart from the glass volume, providing shade from the sun, and symbolizing the dynamic sensibility of the building.

Among the Clouds Art Center
Courtesy of Highlite Images
Among the Clouds Art Center
Courtesy of Highlite Images

The relationship between the two basic elements is like the codependence between clothing and bodies, creating a richly expressive intermediary space between the intermittent flickers of light reflecting off of the glass cube and the thin metal shutters.

The effect is a beguilingly poetic spatial aesthetic that lends to the interior area a multi-layered sense of outward extension and softly natural interactions.

Among the Clouds Art Center
Courtesy of Highlite Images
Among the Clouds Art Center
Courtesy of Highlite Images

Shifting with the changing light, the superimposed facade appears solid yet yielding, aloof yet elegant, and logical yet emotional.

The impression of a building is no longer a clear silhouette. Instead, it is an image of time mapped out across layers upon layers. It is an expression of floating light and shadow. It is a fluid exchange between illusion and reality.

Among the Clouds Art Center
Courtesy of Highlite Images

Among the Clouds Art Center
Courtesy of Highlite Images
Among the Clouds Art Center
Courtesy of Highlite Images
Among the Clouds Art Center
Courtesy of Highlite Images
Among the Clouds Art Center
Courtesy of Highlite Images
Among the Clouds Art Center
Courtesy of Highlite Images

Among the Clouds Art Center
Courtesy of Highlite Images
Among the Clouds Art Center
Courtesy of Highlite Images
Among the Clouds Art Center
Courtesy of Highlite Images
Among the Clouds Art Center
Courtesy of Highlite Images
Among the Clouds Art Center
Courtesy of Highlite Images
Among the Clouds Art Center
Courtesy of Highlite Images
Among the Clouds Art Center
Courtesy of Highlite Images
Among the Clouds Art Center
Courtesy of Highlite Images
Among the Clouds Art Center
Courtesy of Highlite Images
Among the Clouds Art Center
Courtesy of Highlite Images


Among the Clouds Art Center
Plan - Ground Floor
Among the Clouds Art Center
Plan - 1st Floor


Among the Clouds Art Center
Diagram