Render © Zaha Hadid Architects Earlier this year, Zaha Hadid’s Guangzhou Opera House opened to the public. Shaped to resemble two pebbles on the bank of the Pearl River, the building boasts a 1,800-seat theatre plus 400-seat multifunctional hall, rehearsal rooms and an entrance hall, with claims of “an ambition and optimism that will create future.” Zaha recently...
The 6th Affordable Art Beijing (AAB) fair is officially taking place on May 14-15, 2011 at 798 Space. Founded in 2006, Affordable Art Beijing (AAB) has grown to become one of the most highly anticipated art fairs of the year. Founder, Tom Pattinson, and his team have handpicked over 1,000 works of original Chinese contemporary art, from small prints...
Plastered8 T-shirts is China’s first street brand, and was founded by self-proclaimed creative dictator, Dominic Johnson-Hill. The brand celebrates iconic imagery taken from Beijing’s streets and “plasters” them on t-shirts. Everyday design is inspiration – from neon signs framing karaoke halls, to delicate acrobatic twists and illegal sticker ads. We caught up with Dominic this month to discuss his...
Based in Beijing, Khaki Creative & Design co-founder and creative director, Nod Young, is a prolific artist whose passion lies in typography and graphic design. He draws heavily on Chinese culture and tradition to inform his working process, and has continuously pushed the boundaries of creativity in China, a country in which art and design are still in their...
Greening the Beige (GtB) is an eco-minded arts collective and not-for-profit community network based in Beijing. The organisation acts as a public platform to promote environmental awareness through the arts, frequently collaborating with other organisations and artists dedicated to sustainable development. After signing up to the 10:10 campaign, GtB is now focusing on their annual event – 10/10/10 –...
Much of China’s rich cultural heritage is at risk. This is mainly due to lack of awareness and poor enforcement of Chinese heritage-protection laws, which are well conceived but poorly implemented. In a time of extreme economic development and social change, Beijing Cultural Heritage Protection Center (CHP) – a non-profit organisation – helps to support local communities and fights...
“Smart and Mini Architecture for Local communities and Low income,” or SMALL Architecture, was founded by architect, Li Ye, and is the Beijing chapter of Architecture for Humanity. Barely a year old, SMALL have undertaken a number of socially-led projects to offer design as a service to the often forgotten local Chinese communities. We met with Li Ye this...
NLGX is a Beijing-based design community and brand founded by Ed Hung and Michel Sutyadi in 2008. After witnessing first-hand the changes taking place in China’s ancient capital city, Michel and Ed decided to capture the new spirit of the city with a fresh and unique lifestyle brand. Inspired by Beijing’s development into a multicultural melting pot of artists,...
Zara Arshad is a British designer currently based in Beijing, China. Having also lived in the UK, Syria and Indonesia, she continually promotes internationalism as well as the potential of design to solve social, economic and political issues. Previous experience includes working with the British Council, and Don’t Panic and Icon magazines; she is also a persistent volunteer for...
