This family of concrete artist and designers' studios by Chinese office AZL Architects is located amongst the marshes of the Xixi National Wetland Park in Hangzhou, China (+ slideshow).
Conceived by Zhang Lei of AZL architects as a small village community, the Xixi Artist Clubhouse is a cluster of five similar buildings with translucent walls and branch-like arms that stretch out towards one another.
Each building is designed to house artists- and designers-in-residence and contains a mixture of studios and living quarters within a Y-shaped central plan and two Y-shaped arms.
The two-storey central structures are constructed from concrete and feature glazed end walls. Each one contains double-height studio spaces and staircases that lead up to indoor balconies.
The single-storey arms have a steel-framed structure and are clad with translucent polycarbonate panels to bring light into kitchens, bedrooms and smaller studios.
A pathway winds through the site to connect the buildings and a series of small lampposts help residents find their way around after dark.
AZL Architects more recently completed a house with walls that appear to be peeling in a forest near Nanjing, China. See more architecture in China.
Other artists' studios featured on Dezeen include a pointy gallery and studio in Japan and a set of cabin-like studios on an island off the coast of Canada. See more artists' studios on Dezeen.
Photography is by Yao Li.
Here's a little more information from AZL Architects:
Xixi Artist Clubhouse / AZL architects
Located in Xixi wetlands in west of central Hangzhou, the Xixi Artist Clubhouse is organized as a village structure with five building units, 800 m2 each as studio for artists & designers in Hangzhou. Each cluster relies on three Y-shaped volumes, one in six by six and two in three by three meters square frameless openings, creating panoramas view of surrounding wetland landscape in different directions. Contrast to cubic outside geometric volume of building, twisting fiberglass installation redefines internal spaces. Walls, floors, and ceilings are integrated in continues surface, refers to different program.
The six meter tall structure is in concrete, while two smaller sections in steel structure introduce translucent white PC panels as cladding to diffuse direct sunlight. During dark night, one could see a group of beautiful lanterns floating on the water of wild wetland horizon.
Location: Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
Architect in Charge: Zhang Lei
Project Team: Zhang Lei, Qi wei, Zhong Guanqiu, Zhang Guangwei, Guo Donghai
Collaborator: Architectural Design Institute, ZJIU
Project Area: 4000 sqm
Project year: 2008-2011
