Project
Xitang Gallery on Market

Category 
Best Implemented Project of Public Building or Facility

About the project
Xitang is one of the most precious preserved canal towns in the Yangtz River Delta in Southeast China with canals. The site locates at the new extension area at the east of the ancient town. The building offers a marketplace on the ground floor opening to the public plaza and riverfront landscape, and a gallery space on the second floor for customized exhibitions, lectures or other activities. The marketplace is covered by a wavy roof composed by linear triangular trusses, supported by Y-shape steel columns. The continuous pitched roofs and gable walls rise reference to the local building typology, while the free located columns hint a loose and changeable use. The none-column gallery space is realized by a mutual supporting timber beam roof supported by a surrounding knitted X-shape poles in laminated wood. The building establishes an architectural connection with tradition, whereas provides a unique spatial experience and landmark for the new Xitang area at the river cross.

Location
Zhenguan road, Xitang Rast, Jia Shan, Zhejiang Province, China

Project implementation year
2021

Applicant and authors of the project
Scenic Architecture Office.
Zhu Xiaofeng, RIBA, founded Scenic Architecture Office since 2004. He is also a guest professor at Tongji University CAUP and a member of Architecture Society of China committee of architectural culture. He got his M.Arch from the GSD at Harvard and his PhD from Tongji University. His works was widely published and invited to various exhibitions including Venice Biennale, NAI, V&A, AEDES, MAK, Milan Triennial and Shanghai SUSAS.
Design Team: ZHU Xiaofeng, Pi Liming, Zhuang Xinjia.

Other participants
Client: Zhidi Development Co. Ltd
Structure Consultant: Zhang Zhun
Landscape Consultant: Topo Design
LDI: Hongzheng Architectural Design Institution