Foster + Partners lines Shanghai art gallery with tubular glass
Ribbed glass facades wrap the stepped silhouette of the Jia Art gallery in Shanghai, which was designed by British studio Foster + Partners to appear like a cluster of petals.
Foster + Partners referenced flowers in the nearby Changfeng park when creating the curved shape of the gallery, which was designed as the main social hub for the Changfeng development in Shanghai's Putuo district.
"Drawing on the geometry of a blossoming flower, the gallery is characterised by its curvilinear form that appears to grow outwards from its centre," said Foster + Partners senior partner John Blythe.
"The building's inherent symmetry establishes a sense of calm and balance in this fast-paced city."
A double-height atrium divides Jia Art in two, drawing natural light into the exhibition spaces.
The main galleries are located in the northern end of the building, and the southern side contains exhibition, event and educational spaces designed for the local community to gather.
"Jia Art is a project that demonstrates the significance of embedding art and culture in our cities," said Foster + Partners founder Norman Foster.
"It will bring life to the public spaces, nurturing a sense of community identity, while playing an important role in integrating our new Changfeng development into the wider fabric of Shanghai."
The building's upper levels step outwards and cantilever over the public space outside.
Tubular glass creates a ribbed effect in the building's facades, framed by curved stainless steel tubes that run up the walls and around the undersides of the roof and cantilevers.
Foster + Partners designed the interior of the atrium to echo Jia Art's exterior, with walls of steel tubes cascading over balconies.
Other cultural projects by the studio that have recently featured on Dezeen include the Zayed National Museum in Abu Dhabi, which is topped with soaring ventilation towers, and plans for a sculpture garden beside the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
The photography is courtesy of Foster + Partners.
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