in shanghai, an interactive community art gallery is viewed through a light chamber

at the heart of shanghai, bengo studio has designed an interactive community art gallery on yuyuan road. pedestrians can view the art through a small light horizontal glass slot chamber that has been submitted via a QR code next to the gallery and selected by the managers, UNITU.
image by chen hao (also main image)

bengo studio has situated the gallery on one of the oldest streets in central shanghai, where most of the buildings are villas that date back to the colonial period with most of the pedestrians on this street generally being local residents with white- collar jobs. however, the neighborhood is undergoing change as the ‘residential function of these buildings are gradually replaced by commerce and offices.’

image by zhu di

every month, UNITU will select and display one piece of submitted work. thus, this immersive project invites the community to showcase their own works of art by providing them with a vehicle to determine part of the next phase in their local neighborhood.
image by chen hao

the gallery clings tightly to the adjacent wall as the sidewalk is only 2 meters wide. although it stretches 5.2m long, the foot print on the street is only 1 square meter. the light chamber sits 30mm high and is 4.2m long.

image by zhu di

image by zhu di

image by chen hao

project info:

architects: bengo studio, xiang nan 

design team: xie huaiyuan
project name: street-wall gallery on yuyuan road
location: yuyuan street, shanghai, china

function: art gallery
client: assbook

gfa: 1 sqm
structure: steel structure with grc 

lighting design: sean hoom

design phase: 2017.7 – 2017.9

construction phase: 2017.9 – 2017.11