Boundless Theater is a new public centre for the village community in the central park at the bottom of a valley. The original cherry blossom forest of the site is well retained, and a new public theater was gently placed into it based on the design philosophy expressing the endless time and space. The architect uses mono-material steel to create an open art space connecting people’s activity and nature, representing the artistic conception of “A Tale of the Peach Blossom Garden” written by Tao Yuanming, a Chinese writer in the ancient Jin Dynasty.
The design itself was meant to break the boundary of the traditional stage, to invite nature and people to come in, allowing all performances to interact with the audience freely. The stage was wide open. Without design drawings, the architect acts as a constructor on-site, collaborating with the local workers to track the complex site info to protect the cherry tree by weaving this building by hand.
Boundless Theater conveys three cores：
- Respecting the Art through space and craft;
- Shaping a space deeply integrating architecture and nature;
- Creating a theater not only a place for performance but also a medium for communication.
Boundless Theater of Egret Bay
Location: Wulian County, Rizhao, Shandong, China
Design Firms: Beijing Guanzhu Landscape Planning and Design Institute & Kong Xiangwei Studio
Client: Shandong Bailu Bay Art Museum Town
Photo credit: ZhiYi Architectural photography