Sunac Grand Milestone Modern Art Center in Xi’an / Cheng Chung Design

© Qilin Zhang, © Ting Wang, © Cheng Chung Design

In 2019, Cheng Chung Design completed the Sunac Grand Milestone Modern Art Center in Xi’an with a Chinese philosophical aesthetic in mind.

Xi’an Sunac Grand Milestone Modern Art Center Technical Information

• Architects: Cheng Chung Design
• Location: Xi’an, China
• Material: Glass
• Type: Art Center
• Area: 5.500 m²
• Project Year: 2019
• Photographs: © Qilin Zhang, Ting Wang, Cheng Chung Design 

Oriental aesthetics emphasizes the interaction of the abstract and the concrete, and it’s the interaction of objects that enables operation of the world and create endless changes.

– Ye Jintian, chinese aesthetic master 

Xi’an Sunac Grand Milestone Modern Art Center Photographs

© Qilin Zhang, © Ting Wang, © Cheng Chung Design (H.K.)

© Qilin Zhang, © Ting Wang, © Cheng Chung Design

© Qilin Zhang, © Ting Wang, © Cheng Chung Design

© Qilin Zhang, © Ting Wang, © Cheng Chung Design

© Qilin Zhang, © Ting Wang, © Cheng Chung Design

© Qilin Zhang, © Ting Wang, © Cheng Chung Design

Text by the Architects

The project is situated at the junction of two core areas of the city, the Central Culture Business District (C.C.B.D.) and the Qujiang Cultural Industry Cluster (Q.C.I.C.). Set at the high point of Leyouyuan and adjacent to Xi’an Botanical Garden, it’s a striking presence, which floats in the air like a futuristic crystal box.   

Philosophical aesthetics & implications of time

A large irregular spherical art installation is placed at the corner of the foyer, which is eye-catching. With an asymmetrical shape, it offers varying visual experiences to people at different distances, showcasing tension of the space.

The audio/video room beside it floats above the waterscape, which forms the contrast of lightness and solidness with the artwork, merging into a harmonious coexistence.

Chinese aesthetic master Ye Jintian once said, “Oriental aesthetics emphasizes the interaction of the abstract and the concrete, and it’s the interaction of objects that enables operation of the world and create endless changes.” The artwork at the end of the passage brings such oriental aesthetics of the abstract and concrete to space, which tells the story of time.

88-second travel through the time tunnel

An ultra-long escalator takes people from one floor upwards to another in 88 seconds, generating dramatic experiences. The linear escalator is flanked by high stone walls, which block the sightline and close off the outside world, which seems to bring people into a time tunnel highlighted by a beam of light on the top.

Such profound, eternal, and pure design enables people to gain inner peace without any distraction within the 88 seconds ascending the escalator, accompanied by the light filter down from the liner groove. 

As arriving on the other floor, the field of vision suddenly opens up, with the super-scale transparent space presenting amazing visual experiences.

As opposed to straightforwardly telling the story, the 88-second elevator draws on the aesthetics of contrast in philosophy to produce changing experiences, which echoes the journey of life. 

The artistic field inside, the broad world outside

The giant artwork and the spiral staircase together result in an artistic ambiance. Artistic elements in the space can always find a way to blend with nature and achieve perfect harmony.

Spiral lines form the cross-floor staircase, which seems to be floating between the floors, very flexible, pure, and poetic.

Sufficient space is left for the negotiation area and water bar, which guarantees the privacy of conversation while not breaking the overall serene atmosphere.

This artistic space awash with imagination and poetry is not only a spectacular hall that displays artists’ fantastic works, but also a place that evokes interaction between people and art. There are some flexible and versatile “blank” areas, which are capable of stimulating the public’s imagination and growth of art.

A giant golden mineral stone is inserted in the space, which seems to be breaking out of it. This structure symbolizes the energetic heart of the building and the map of property development. “Grand Milestone” is engraved on its surface, which shows an avant-garde way to convey information. 

Light penetrates holes of different sizes and then casts sparkling dots on the floor, which are visually pleasing.

Xi’an Sunac Grand Milestone Modern Art Center Plans

Xi’an Sunac Grand Milestone Modern Art Center Image Gallery

About Cheng Chung Design

C.C.D./Cheng Chung Design was founded by Joe Cheng, a designer who specializes in hospitality design.
Other works from Cheng Chung Design  

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