MAD architects proposes its zhuhai center as a sensitive, protective dome

in response to china‘s rapid urban growth, MAD architects proposes a sensitive intervention with its zhuhai cultural arts center. seeking to introduce an urban renewal project without demolishing the historic village and its architectural heritage, the team introduces the ‘village under the dome’ as part of a larger competition to design the arts center. the project is sited over the yinkeng village, a centuries-old village which dates back to the northern song dynasty. the landscape on which the place is sited hooks out into the sea, formed naturally by the pearl river delta.

images courtesy of MAD architects

MAD architects began its design of the zhuhai cultural arts center proposal with an investigation of the historic urban fabric — however, when the competition began, the entire village had been almost entirely demolished. with this in mind, the team studied traces of history among the ruins. these include door plaques dating from the last century, plants in front of houses, and an ancient banyan tree with over 500 years of history at the edge of the village, under which the ‘god of land’ was once worshipped. these poignant details carry the marks of people’s lives in yinkeng until the moment the village was torn down, embodying a strong sense of emotion and memory.

for the zhuhai cultural arts center competition entry, MAD architects proposes a unique solution, the only entry that opposed complete demolition and loss of the village’s memory. instead, MAD adopts an approach focused on conservation and renewal, transforming the role and function of the original site. the design team develops the proposal with respect for the heritage of the village as well as the emotional aspirations of the people who had lived there for generations. the design will restore the village’s public spaces while ‘protecting’ it beneath a large dome. rather than flaunt the ‘muscle’ of new urban economic development, the scheme hopes to reflect the human-oriented sentiments that have naturally developed over time.

the complex functions of the zhuhai cultural arts center are organized to fit sensitively among the original village streets in the form of scattered, small-scale, block-like buildings. this approach intends to create a sense of community based on the existing protective ruins. the floating dome will gather these small volumes with a sense of stacking. in this way, the project hybridizes the old and new, with the village’s original plaza, green space, pond, and an iconic ancient banyan tree all preserved. the surreal ‘floating’ dome stands in dialogue with the small-scale street layout, uniting the entire cultural center as a symbol of preservation and renewal. reaching a maximum height of 45 meters, the dome is formed of a main arch and cable membrane structure to ensure its stability — protecting the past while imagining the future.