When Beijing-based architects Neri & Hu were invited to create a new clubhouse and sales centre in the Miyun Reservoir region outside Beijing, they were introduced to a site including an existing, donut-shaped structure, rich greenery and views of the nearby undulating mountain ranges and meandering rivers. This idyllic spot became the home of the new Junshan Cultural Center.
Working with the existing structure’s traditional Chinese courtyard typology, the team composed two interlocking journeys through the re-imagined building, one for each of its uses. Different volumes were arranged in a complex and clad in warm-toned wood pattern aluminium panels against a brick facade. Meanwhile, traditional gold brick tiles line floors in the landscaping, as well as the interior ‘in-between’ spaces.
Inside, the structure features a 100-person multi-purpose hall, a business lounge and bar, a library, a children’s reading room, a private function room, a family media room, a red-wine and cigar lounge bar and a rooftop deck; all are available to the club’s members. Meanwhile, a fully operational sales suite occupies a discrete part of the building.
An art gallery with its sculpted ceiling is one of the project’s most dramatic rooms – though Neri & Hu’s subtle, minimalist touch and signature use of tactile surfaces and natural materials are evident throughout. At the same time, all areas feature carefully placed openings that frame the striking surrounding natural scenery that connects the building unequivocally to its locale. §
