Red Diamond

 

Located in the historic DongCheng district of Beijing, the project calls for a conversion of old factory complex into a dance center with a performance hall, a practice hall and a saloon.

With the intention to emphasize the public character of the new dance center, the concept was to make the courtyard an outdoor “theater” – a public space that would revitalize the complex, the hutong and its neighborhood.

By wrapping the old factory building with evenly-spaced-out steel tubing, the façade of the performance hall was perceived as a theater stage. The old white door in the middle was kept and untouched, telling the history of the building’s transformation.

The white floating box opposite to the performance hall is a saloon which was perceived as box seats overlooking the stage on the other side. At the same time, people in saloon are also being seen upon entering the complex. There is a blurred boundary between stage and seats. The relationship between seeing and being seen are constantly reversed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

via Chiasmus Partners (Photo © Jenny Hung)
 
^Architect: Chiasmus Partners
^{Principal Architects:} James Wei Ke, Hyunho Lee
^{Project Team:} Oscar Ko, Lucy Gu Yun Duan, Feng Bo
^Client: Beijing Modern Dance Company
^Location: Beijing, China
^Program: Performance Hall, Practice Hall, Saloon
^{Project years:} 2008-2009
^{Photographer:} Chiasmus, Jenny Hung