Dalian Cultural Center | Neri&Hu

Our design for a new mixed-use creative development is located in the heart of Dalian in close proximity to university campuses and software parks. The existing compound comprises 6 buildings dating back 40 years, which formerly served as offices, warehouses, and dormitories for a chemical research institute. Our design challenge was to find an architectural language that could unify the buildings which all have varying heights and distinct facades which have undergone previous renovation efforts. The most prominent building within the site is a former workers dormitory featuring a series of wooden gates and garage stalls used for repairs in the past. 

The concept behind The Yard stems from a reflection on the project’s context, situated in a hidden and introverted locus within the city; a small haven of a soon to be forgotten urban memory. As an adaptive reuse project, the aim is to transform the compound into a destination to serve the local community and student population. Its programming consists of galleries, lifestyle retail, hospitality, cinema, theater, and office space. The former dormitory has been converted into an office. A small library designed near the entrance greets guests and is accessible to the general public.

The existing buildings, arranged in a U-shaped configuration, were introverted in nature and oriented towards a large empty parking lot. Our scheme completes the U-shaped figure by transforming it into an enclosed courtyard articulated by a new spatial system of walls, screens and canopies. Drawing inspiration from Chinese gardens, we celebrate the compound’s hidden nature as a contemplative space offering refuge from urban cacophony. The continuous figure envelopes the plaza to create a sense of privacy, framing a large rock feature, and acts as a secondary facade layer which mediates between old and new.

The tactile material palette is kept minimal and raw to complement the existing stucco facades. Corten steel is used as the main surface material given its relevance as an industrial material which weathers and changes, recording the progression of time. Interior design strategy celebrates the tension between new and old; new plaster finishes juxtaposed with partially exposed brick and structural elements create a dialogue between past and present.

[CH]

如恩设计的“引庭”文化创意园区位于大连市区中心，毗邻多所高校和软件园区。原址由六栋拥有40余年历史的建筑组成，曾为化工研究所的办公楼、仓库及员工宿舍。面对这些高度不一、立面各异、且历经多次改造的建筑群，如何寻求统一的建筑语言成为项目改造的设计挑战。场地内最显著的建筑前身为员工宿舍楼，其内部仍保留一系列木门和曾用于维修场所的车库隔间。

“引庭”的概念源于场地隐秘而内敛的地理位置和城市肌理，这里承载着即将被遗忘却极具意义的城市记忆。作为适应性改造项目，如恩试图将这一老旧建筑群改造为服务当地社区和学生群体的创意空间。改造后的场地集画廊、生活方式、零售空间、餐饮、影院、剧场以及由旧宿舍楼改建而成的办公空间于一体，入口附近同时设有一座对公众开放的小型图书馆。 

原有老建筑群呈现出“U”型布局，中间为一片空旷的停车场。如恩通过墙体、屏风和顶篷完成“U”型闭合，将原本孤立的单体建筑有机连接，从而打造更为统一的完整空间。同时借鉴了中国园林的设计理念，突出场地内在的隐匿特质，将其塑造为一处静思之所，为人们提供暂避城市喧嚣的空间，营造私密而沉静的氛围。庭院中心的大型岩石景观成为新旧建筑之间的过渡与联结，让历史与现代在此交融共生。

为了与现有外墙和谐相融，场地材料保持了其简约且质朴的触感。建筑外立面主要选材为耐候钢，这种工业材料会随风化而变化再生，记录时间的流逝。室内设计则着重强调了新与旧之间的张力——新粉刷的墙面与局部裸露的砖墙及旧结构交织共存，营造出过去与当下的空间对话。

Partners-in-charge: Lyndon Neri, Rossana Hu

Associate-in-charge: Zhao Lei

Design team: Ivy Feng, Wenbo Da, Christine Chang, Siyu Chen, Susana Sanglas, Feiteng Feng, Haiou Xin, Ziyang Lin, Lyuqitiao Wang, Greg Wu

Architecture design: Neri&Hu Design and Research Office

Interior design: Neri&Hu Design and Research Office 

LDI: Zhongdi Design Group Co., Ltd.

Lighting: Linea Light (China) Co., Ltd., Hangzhou ROLEDS Technology Co., Ltd.