Jade Belt Cloud – Dali "Huazui Art Center" Design | Usual Studio

The Dali Huazui Art Center project is defined as a comprehensive cultural and creative aesthetic space integrating wedding art, photography, exhibition, catering and accommodation.

01.  The origin of design "Travel Shooting"

On the road around the lake near the project site, no matter if the weather is cloudy or sunny, there are men and women pursuing a solemn pledge of love taking wedding dresses. Obviously, it is not ideal to take pictures on the side of the road where cars come and go. For the designer, it is very meaningful to create a comfortable and exciting aesthetic space with the owner to meet the needs of the tourists taking pictures.

02. The design conception "Building is Landscape"

Cangshan Mountain, Erhai Lake, and Jade Belt Clouds are the most expressive natural landscapes in Dali. You will often see rising clouds and mist floating between the mountains and the lake.

The renovation design restores such a landscape intention, allowing the building to meander and float like a "jade belt cloud". As a result, the building is landscaped and integrated into the mountainside, at the same time, the building serves as a container for the landscape, facing the Cangshan Mountain and the Erhai Lake in space.

03. Site Strategy "Connection and Reconstruction"

A "wind and rain corridor" connects more possibilities between the building and the site, providing a three-dimensional and diverse tour experience.

The part of the corridor is loweded and raised at the important space nodes, forming a chapeland a ladder which dialogues with the distant mountains and lake.

The corridor is not only a streamlined transportation system, but also a recreation play space, an important medium connecting place and spirit.

04. Use natural "light and shadow & red rock"

With the help of Dali's abundant sunshine resources, the architectural design is like a musical instrument, which can compose the movement of light and shadow: from the graceful light spots in the entrance corridor to the ceremonial array of light and shadow lines in the chapel, and the hyperboloid roof forms a vague diffuse reflection, like the casual music on the cloud beating gently.

The construction work exposed the natural Karst red rock to the retaining wall, which is a resource that cannot be ignored in the site. In the indoor and outdoor design, we intentionally preserve the natural beauty of the original rock surface. This combination of artificial and nature gives the space a sense of breathing.

05. Travel Photography Experience "Photographic Art and Space Aesthetics"

The aesthetic space has an important basic function: to meet people's needs for taking pictures and checking in a famous site. In this project, it is also necessary for the designer to learn to use the language of the lens and use the lens as a pen to describe the unique travel photography space.

For different functional spaces, we have designed a series of different themed scenes, connecting these scenes in a developmental space streamline. Different people will walk through them in different ways, producing their own lens stories and different experiences.

Project Name:Jade Belt Cloud – Dali "Huazui Art Center" Design

Project Location: Dali, China

Gross Built Area (square meters): 4000㎡

Design Year:2020

Completion Year:2021

Design Company: USUAL Studio

Website: http://usualstudio.cn

Contact E-mail: [email protected]

Design Contents: Architecture, Landscape, Interior Design

Leader Designer: Lin Jingrui 

Design Team: Wang Kunhui, Wen Hsin, Shenjiajun, Huang Kaiqi, Shen Minghui

Photo Credits:Zhao Junce, Liang Chen, Mo Fei, RENPENG Image, LC•studio, Secret Gallery Image, Huazui Art Center

Building Materials: Steel, Metal Aluminum Plate, Glass, White Exterior Wall Paint, Terrazzo