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.
■建築概要
The Yard
Dalian Cultural Center
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Site Address: Dalian, China
Year of Completion: 2025
Client: Dalian Chuanshi Yiju Business Management Co., Ltd. – The Yard
Project Type: Architecture, Interior
Program: Retail, Office, Restaurant, Library, Gallery, Cinema, Theater
Gross area: 4,631 sqm
Site area: 9,800 sqm
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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
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Architecture design: Neri&Hu Design and Research Office
Interior design: Neri&Hu Design and Research Office
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Consultants:
LDI: Zhongdi Design Group Co., Ltd.
Lighting: Linea Light (China) Co., Ltd.
Hangzhou ROLEDS Technology Co., Ltd.
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Contractors:
General Contractor: Dalian Qian Sheng Feng Design Engineering Co., Ltd.
【ap job更新】 建築・インテリア・家具を一体と捉え、身体スケールからのデザインを大切にする「.8/TENHACHI」が、設計スタッフ（既卒・経験者）と アルバイトを募集中【ap job更新】 建築・インテリア・家具を一体と捉え、身体スケールからのデザインを大切にする「.8/TENHACHI」が、設計スタッフ（既卒・経験者）と アルバイトを募集中Floating on the Ridge / photo by Takumi Ota
小嶋伸也＋小嶋綾香 / 小大建築設計事務所が設計した、中国・広州の店舗「THE NORTH FACE URBAN EXPLORATION」です。
アウトドアブランドの“都市生活者向け”ラインの為に計画されました。建築家は、製品コンセプトの体現を求め、テントの膜素材を用いた“都市のシェルター”を中央に据える空間を考案しました。また、都市の無骨さの表現も意図して“黒皮鉄”も用いられました。
THE NORTH FACE（ザ・ノース・フェイス）がアウトドアで培った機能性と合理性を、ファッションに落とし込み都市生活者向けに提案する「THE NORTH FACE URBAN EXPLORATION（ザ・ノース・フェイス・アーバン・エクスプロレーション）」。
