Unveiled in Venice during the 2018 architecture biennale, Valley XL is China’s latest grand architectural scheme; an arts and ecology project that is set to become a brand new cultural hub for the region.
Situated in Northern China, a quick train ride from Beijing to the beautiful Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei district, the project is the brainchild of private developers Shenzhen XL Culture Development Co., Ltd. and Guangdong Yuegang Investment Development Co., Ltd.
The campus, which spans a staggering 988 acres, will include art centre, museum, artists’ residencies, offices and exhibition spaces for art institutions, an arts education centre, buildings for collaborations with international institutions, restaurants, lifestyle offerings, and wellness centres; the architecture firms involved include international names such as AECOM and Arquitectonica, but also local firms such as HHDFUN. The campus was conceived to encourage artistic development in the country and promote both cultural endeavours and ecotourism activities.
‘Our cultural strategy starts today, with the overall planning of the project, and we are now looking to bring in the best cultural professionals and institutional partners, to work together to create an environment that is tailored for the artistic community right from the outset’, says artist, curator, and producer Li Zhenhua serves as an advisor for XL Project, Valley XL's management and programming scheme. ‘Ultimately, we hope to create an international platform which meets artists’ needs, creates a dialogue globally, and nurtures the cultural scene here long into the future.’
With construction about to commence, works are set to move forward fast with the first building – the Valley XL Art Centre by Wang Zhenfei - completing in 2019. The remaining structures will follow up in phases over the coming years.
Valley XL and XL Project are special partners of the China Pavilion at the 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale, which is entitled ‘Building a Future Countryside’ and explores the countryside of contemporary China and the evolution and role of Chinese villages.
See all the latest from Venice Architecture Biennale here
The large scale scheme will include from museums and art centres, to housing and office buildings.
The campus spans a staggering 988 acres and will be completed in phases, starting with the art centre, which is set to open its doors for a soft launch next year
-
Sotheby’s is auctioning a rare Frank Lloyd Wright lamp – and it could fetch $5 millionThe architect's ‘Double-Pedestal’ lamp, which was designed for the Dana House in 1903, is hitting the auction block 13 May at Sotheby's.
-
Naoto Fukasawa sparks children’s imaginations with play sculpturesThe Japanese designer creates an intuitive series of bold play sculptures, designed to spark children’s desire to play without thinking
-
Japan in Milan! See the highlights of Japanese design at Milan Design Week 2025At Milan Design Week 2025 Japanese craftsmanship was a front runner with an array of projects in the spotlight. Here are some of our highlights
-
A Xingfa cement factory’s reimagining breathes new life into an abandoned industrial siteWe tour the Xingfa cement factory in China, where a redesign by landscape architecture firm SWA completely transforms an old industrial site into a lush park
-
Bold, geometric minimalism rules at Toteme’s new store by Herzog & de Meuron in ChinaToteme launches a bold, monochromatic new store in Beijing – the brand’s first in China – created by Swiss architecture masters Herzog & de Meuron
-
The upcoming Zaha Hadid Architects projects set to transform the horizonA peek at Zaha Hadid Architects’ future projects, which will comprise some of the most innovative and intriguing structures in the world
-
Liu Jiakun wins 2025 Pritzker Architecture Prize: explore the Chinese architect's workLiu Jiakun, 2025 Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate, is celebrated for his 'deep coherence', quality and transcendent architecture
-
Zaha Hadid Architects reveals plans for a futuristic project in Shaoxing, ChinaThe cultural and arts centre looks breathtakingly modern, but takes cues from the ancient history of Shaoxing
-
Meet Carlo Ratti, the architect curating the 2025 Venice Architecture BiennaleWe meet Italian architect Carlo Ratti, the curator of the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale, to find out what drives and fascinates him ahead of the world’s biggest architecture festival kick-off in May
-
The Hengqin Culture and Art Complex is China’s newest cultural megastructureAtelier Apeiron’s Hengqin Culture and Art Complex strides across its waterside site on vast arches, bringing a host of facilities and public spaces to one of China’s most rapidly urbanising areas
-
The World Monuments Fund has announced its 2025 Watch – here are some of the endangered sites on the listEvery two years, the World Monuments Fund creates a list of 25 monuments of global significance deemed most in need of restoration. From a modernist icon in Angola to the cultural wreckage of Gaza, these are the heritage sites highlighted
