Xiyuan Entertainment Complex

This design by Colletti and Cruz was the winning proposal in an invited international competition for an 180,000m² entertainment complex to be located in front of the Yiheyuan Royal Summer Palace in Beijing, one of China’s most important cultural sites. The project was designed equally – 50% each – through their practice, marcosandmarjan architects. Its primary research investigation was to look at how innovative CAD/CAM design and manufacturing techniques might be used to generate a new contemporary architectural identity amidst the rapid development now taking place in China. Hence the scheme sought to draw together innovative design solutions in terms of its building technology, typological layout and architectural language. The project’s proximity to a World Heritage Site and the consequent height restrictions triggered a more contextual and low-density proposal, as opposed to the more pervasive western-style impositions of high-density commercial buildings which are sprouting up in Chinese cities.

There are four major aspects of the design: a new version of the traditional upturned tiled roof; a multiple-use programmatic element; some contextualisation in the building’s forms; and the use of digital prefabrication to make the steel structure, stone cladding and wood detailing. This project for the Xiyuan Entertainment Compex was exhibited at the Venice Biennale (2004); Feng Chia University in Taiwan (2005); Royal Academy Summer Exhibition in London (2005); Metaflux in São Paulo, Lisbon and Aveiro (2005); etc. A major article was published on the project in Time+Architecture (2006), plus there were positive reviews in international magazines: 2G Dossier (2005); Ponto Final (2005); Construir (2004). The scheme was also illustrated in the RIBA Journal (2005), East of Eros catalogue (2005); Metaflux catalogue (2005); L’ARCA magazine (2005); etc. A broadcast on the scheme was also aired, along with a discussion of other contemporary architectural work by Rem Koolhaas and others, by CCTV-China.