spiral gallery by protoscapes unravels like a white flower in rural china

Spiral Gallery’s form embraces the surrounding nature

Protoscapes introduces Spiral Gallery as a pivotal element in the Dawei Village Revitalization Masterplan, championing sustainable rural development in Hefei, Anhui Province. The project redefines gallery experiences, placing art in a natural context rather than a confined setting. Situated between two villages, the building serves as a geometrical backdrop dedicated to nature, art, and performance. The gallery, with a mere 445 sqm footprint, seamlessly integrates with the surrounding landscape, minimizing environmental impact. The building’s biophilic form, conceived as a ‘primeval tree trunk’, unravels its rings, creating an intimate courtyard and blurring indoor-outdoor boundaries. Chromatically aligned with Anhui’s lime-washed houses, the white circular structure pays homage to vernacular water townhouses while blending into the village fabric.

all images by Protoscapes + Lin Yongchen

filtered daylight contributes to the spatial experience

The entire structure tapers from south to north, connecting the vertical dimension of the village buildings with the horizontal vastness of the prairies. The site’s landscape design restores meadows, introduces tall grass, and sculpts the terrain to form an amphitheater for events, performances, and large-scale installations. Floor-to-ceiling glazed openings ensure galleries are daylit, as the north-south oriented atrium allows filtered daylight, translating the temporal dimension into a tangible experience in space and creating a poetic ambiance for viewing art. The gallery’s socio-cultural impact extends to fostering a cultural dimension in the Anhui prairie experience, attracting art enthusiasts to the countryside. Protoscapes‘ design challenges conventional gallery settings, allowing nature to converse with artworks.

Protoscapes reimagines art galleries within nature

the circular structure pays homage to vernacular water townhouses

the gallery’s ‘primeval tree trunk’ form blurs indoor-outdoor boundaries

filtered daylight transforms the temporal dimension of light into a tangible experience in space

1/7

 

 

 

 

 

site plan

section

project info:

name: The Narrative of Time: The Spiral Gallery
architect: Protoscapes

design team: Huang Jinhui, Chan Pakkin, Qiu Bin, Cai Zhijie, Lin Zhaoli, Lin Miaoting

location: Hefei, Anhui Province, China

photography: Protoscapes – Lin Yongchen

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom