An industrial-inspired transformation blending cultural utility and urban texture in historic North Nanjing.
Blending Heritage with Contemporary Culture
Located in Nanjing’s historic northern district, the Zhongye Sales Gallery is a dual-purpose architectural concept that reinterprets the city’s industrial legacy. Conceived for MCC Real Estate, the 3,000 sqm site accommodates a current sales gallery and a future creative hub and art space, reinforcing local identity through form, texture, and spatial strategy.
Context and Strategy
The Zhongye Sales Gallery sits at the heart of a development zone in North Nanjing, a historically industrial area characterised by its dense urban fabric. The architectural concept acknowledges this context, integrating references to industrial heritage while proposing a forward-looking spatial programme. The project balances a dual brief: its immediate use as a real estate sales centre, and its intended future as a neighbourhood cultural node.
Urban Contrast and Spatial Experience
The design introduces a clear contrast between external solidity and interior openness. The exterior expresses a calm, almost monolithic identity, acting as a counterpoint to the light-filled, interconnected interior. A central atrium, punctuated by a shallow reflection pool, creates visual porosity and enhances orientation across the gallery.
Views and Public Interfaces
Key to the design are a sequence of rooftop terraces and viewing decks. These elevated platforms offer visitors a panoramic view across the Yangtze River and its natural surroundings. Integrated gardens and outdoor lounges strengthen the building’s civic function, encouraging continuous use beyond its commercial role.
Transformation in Time
With a flexible layout and carefully curated public-facing features, the Zhongye Sales Gallery is designed not just for present needs but for future transformation. Its transition from sales space to cultural venue is embedded into its architecture from the outset, embodying an approach to development that values continuity, adaptability and engagement.
