WENLING, CHINA
This project titled “Horizon Residency’ consists of both public and private facilities meant to house an artist residency program, a park opened to the public, a restaurant and a formal gallery space.
The particularity of this project is its location, on a granite cliff, formerly used as a quarry with three existing terraces carved into the rock facade. This shore of Wenling, China is oriented East, and sees the first sunrise visible from mainland China. Using the existing terraces, the design lies both embedded in and resting along the cliff.
The public can enter from the top of the cliff, directly from the village, using the tunnel that crosses through the rock and lands in the lobby. Then, to access the public terraced park on the middle level, they can use the slanted glass elevator that will take them down.
Artists who are a part of the residency can enter through a private entrance at the bottom of the cliff, and take the elevator up to the first level, where the living and working spaces are. Each module consists of a studio space with access to outdoor space with a living space on a mezzanine level. Each module is different, showcasing the possible variety of artists being housed. They are then all connected through a corridor along the rock facade.
The building’s existence inside of a cliff is being celebrated and embraced through the emphasis of contrast between light and darkness in different spaces. The users can experience this building fully and appreciate the breathtaking views of the ocean by walking through the cliff and eventually reach a literal ‘light at the end of the tunnel’. The experience of the elevator also emphasizes this contrast by immersing its passengers through moments of complete darkness, punctuated by moments of light, where the ocean is visible.
This project is a celebration of the connection between the human-built environment, facing the greatness of the ocean. Its simple geometry and lateral position along the facade maximize the interactions with the edge, framing the views and making them an integral part of the experience.
