丨中国北京

CCD Gallery

Beijing

Ruin

Beijing is a fast city. The life cycle of buildings meant to be replaced hastily often produces defacto ruins.

Architecture is slow. Even in a fast city, buildings take time to be ‘needed’, requested, designed, built.

Site

Caochangdi Village is Beijing’s second art centre. After the rise and gentrification process of 798 (Beijing’s main art centre), Caochangdi moved to occupy a center role in the country’s art development. Attracting galleries of serious gravitas, the suburban town positions it’s premature ruins as spaces full of potential.

Request

How to create quality exhibition space on the dusty outskirts of Caochangdi Village, a gallery and art space conglomerate on Beijing’s 5th Ring Road?

State

A derelict façade devoid of any intention. A front yard lacking any identity. A pastiche of ad hoc HVAC details.

Challenge

To create ‘neutrality’ while providing an identity for a new art institution. To minimize heavy structural interventions. To reclaim the lost qualities of the current building.

Program

Exhibition space, office, storage.

Strategies

Consolidate the new landscape intervention with a façade using the compositional elements of the current building in an innovative way.

To create a ‘white box’ for exhibitions.

To enhance living, studio and working space.

Actual condition of the building

Project Name: CCD Gallery

Status: Commission

Architect: WAI Architecture Think Tank (Cruz Garcia and Nathalie Frankowski)

2016

Location: Beijing, China

Program: Exhibition Space, Storage, Office/Housing