Golden A' Design Award Winner 2024
An expansive interior atrium of a contemporary theatre unfolds before the listener, organized as a soaring public gathering space approximately three to four stories in height. Beginning overhead, an intricate geometric canopy of white-painted steel tubes forms a triangulated lattice resembling an enormous three-dimensional web or crystalline structure, filtering bright cerulean sky visible through transparent panels between the structural members, the light quality suggesting midday sunshine creating crisp shadows. This space frame construction spans the entire ceiling area, its cool metallic white reading like fresh snow against blue winter sky. Descending to the right side of the composition, a monumental sculptural volume dominates, surfaced entirely in vertical fins or louvers finished in rich vermillion red, the color warm as ripe cherries or theatrical velvet curtains, this massive form curves and undulates as it descends from ceiling toward floor, its pleated surface creating rhythmic patterns of light and shadow, the illuminated portions glowing warmly while recessed areas fall into deeper burgundy shadow, the texture suggesting ridged fabric or corrugated metal panels arranged in flowing vertical lines. At the base where this red volume meets the floor, warm honey-toned wood paneling provides transition, smooth and luminous in the natural light. The floor itself appears as dark polished stone or concrete, cool and mirror-like, reflecting ghostly images of the overhead structure and creating perceptual depth. In the foreground center, a white organic-shaped seating element or planter rests on the reflective floor, its smooth curved form suggesting sculpted marble or molded composite material, cool to the touch. Along the left edge, full-height glass curtain walls reveal exterior greenery and sky, the glazing reading as thin barrier between interior grandeur and outdoor landscape. The overall atmosphere suggests hushed anticipation, the stillness of a great civic space awaiting crowds, with cool filtered daylight creating cathedral-like luminosity throughout the soaring volume.
Xi'an, a city that carries a millennia-old history, has been a treasure trove of culture and art since ancient times. In this ancient yet vibrant land, a new architectural marvel stands tall the pride of the Chanba Silk Road International Cultural and Art Center, the Xi'an Chanba Poly Grand Theater. As the centerpiece of this cultural and art center, the Grand Theater, with its exceptional design and unique concept, is becoming the new gateway for urban cultural exchange.