Further research: Artist research Two

The Tiangang Art Centre and Hotel

For this research I chose the project created by Syn Architects as my project has a similar conceptual idea to this Centre. I looked at the layout, at the slope with which the spiral ramp was created and how such a shape fits into the landscape. This research helped me to understand how to make my idea more logical and transform it into a real building. 

Tiangang Art centre is an art centre with gallery and hotel that is located in Tiangang Village in China. At first, there was a semicircular concrete building and architects decided to modernize it by adding another space with a spiral ramp. The shape of the building is fits into the environment with mountains and lake. People describe it 'as a metaphor for the oriental philosophy of nature, where heaven, earth, mountains, water, and people are all harmoniously integrated' (world architecture, 2021) The entrance is located on the main road and faces to the village. The cafe has a view on the mountains and from the windows in the hotel  people can see the lake. (image 1) That means that architects considered the orientation of the building in relation to the environment and every space inside has its own viewpoint. I also would like to think about orientation of the building, making a site plan.

image 1

image 2

In the centre of the building, the main round gallery is located. The roof there is supported by columns that are located randomly. The design of the columns was inspired by 'tree trunks in the forest'. From the gallery people have access to the cafe, toilets, hotel and spiral ramp that leads to the roof. The spiral route has a glass roof that ends at the highest point of the building. There people can explore the environment around the building. The building is illuminated by 'arc-shaped skylight and translucent polycarbonate walls' (dezeen, 2022) The spiral route has a 5% slope (image 3) , which is comfortable for people to walk on, including disabled people. Next I plan to create a prototype and site plan, considering knowledge that I got doing the research.

image 3

Image references

1. Yan, Z. (2021) 'SYN Architects built art center with circular volume spiraling up towards Heibei mountains', worldarchitecture. Available at: https://worldarchitecture.org/architecture-news/emcfz/syn-architects-built-art-center-with-circular-volume-spiraling-up-towards-heibei-mountains.html (Accessed: 14 May 2026).

2. Yan, Z. (2021) 'SYN architects' luminous tiangang art center takes shape as a single, gestural curve', designboom. Available at: SYN architects' tiangang art center takes shape as a single, gestural curve (Accessed: 14 May 2026).

3.  Yan, Z. (2021) 'SYN architects' luminous tiangang art center takes shape as a single, gestural curve', designboom. Available at: SYN architects' tiangang art center takes shape as a single, gestural curve (Accessed: 14 May 2026).

Text references

1. world architecture (2021) 'SYN Architects built art center with circular volume spiraling up towards Heibei mountains'. Available at: https://worldarchitecture.org/architecture-news/emcfz/syn-architects-built-art-center-with-circular-volume-spiraling-up-towards-heibei-mountains.html (Accessed: 14 May 2026).

2. Astbury, J. (2022) 'Spiralling ramp surrounds arts centre in China by Syn Architects', dezeen. Available at: Syn Architects surrounds arts centre in China with spiralling ramp (Accessed: 14 May 2026).