TaoCang Art Center / Roarc Renew

Architects: Roarc Renew
Area: 2448 m²
Year: 2020
Photography: Wen Studio
Principal Architect: Robben Bai
Project Architects: Mengxuan Sheng, Leqian Xue
Design: Xiaoyi Liang, Yejing Wu, Huiqin Lu, Junyi Yang
Terrazzo Parquet Floor Design: Qian Gu, Mengxuan Sheng
Lighting Design: AILD
Lighting Design Team: Shenglin Hong, Guyu Chen, Zhenyun Liu
Construction Consultant: Zhang Chenghua from EMCC/ Shanghai Jielu Decoration Design Engineering Co. Ltd.
Terrazzo Flooring Constructor: EMCC/ Shanghai Jielu Decoration Design Engineering Co. Ltd
Client: XBand Co. Ltd
Project Participants: Shengxuan Zhu, Tianshu Dong, Xiaolong Zhen, Hong Yu
City: Jiaxing
Country: China

TaoCang Art Center, designed by Roarc Renew in Wangjiangjing Town, transforms two 1950s granaries into a cultural landmark. The renovation respects the original energy field of the structures, preserving their historical significance and architectural features. The project includes art and commercial galleries, with new corridors enhancing accessibility and functionality. Completed in 2020, the center integrates modern design with traditional elements, reflecting the community’s heritage.

Roarc Renew was tasked with a countryside renewal project, emphasizing the importance of conforming to the original energy field of the construction. The essence of renewal projects is to identify and harmonize with the hidden flow of the existing structure. This methodology has guided Roarc Renew’s approach for years.

In Wangjiangjing Town, two granaries built in the 1950s/1960s, once used for grain storage, have been transformed into the TaoCang Art Center. Known locally as the Lotus Granary, the renovation includes terrazzo lotus patterns that echo the granaries’ structural arches. The owner aimed to make the granaries a landmark by preserving their architectural and historical essence.

The interior of the granaries, defined as an art center, includes a commercial gallery in the western granary and an art gallery in the eastern granary. The unique concrete arch-supporting system forms a complete visual field, which remains unaltered to preserve the integrity of the space. Auxiliary functions are provided outside the granaries to avoid burdening the old structures.

After demolishing a nearby textile warehouse, the granaries, aligned east-west, face a canal to the north and a lotus pond to the south. The new connective corridors change the entrance layout, creating additional commercial and social spaces. These corridors extend the exhibition space externally while protecting the interior.

The main galleries have four entrances, with newly added corridors directing visitors from the sides to the center. The east and west ends serve as freight entrances, separating visitor and freight flow.

For commercial and social purposes, the corridors house restaurants, coffee stores, and souvenir shops to support the art center’s operation. Full-height glass and electromechanical installations are reserved, although the corridors are presented as a grey space upon completion.

The granaries’ east-west orientation establishes a directional energy field, which the twin corridors parallel in both horizontal and vertical forms. The central entrance’s peak creates a dual-direction energy field, enhancing the architectural experience.

Roarc Renew’s design reflects their empathy for the granaries, comparing construction to human beings and finding emotions in geometric forms. This approach opposes using landmark buildings to represent power, instead seeking inner peace and historical reflection.

The drainage system incorporates bricks that manage water flow, serving as a decorative element.

The wheatear wall pattern, formed by combining different bricks, connects the modern corridors with the old granaries, honoring past memories.

The symmetrical concrete arches supporting the brick roofs create a dramatic visual effect. The twin corridors’ arches mirror the granaries’ structure, achieving a cascading symmetry.

Inside, the flower-decorated floor symbolizes prosperity, echoing the blooming lotuses of the surrounding landscape. For the local villagers, the lotus represents their livelihood through the seasons, while grains sustain them. The TaoCang Art Center’s design narrates this harmonious coexistence.