Architects: BIAD-ZXD ARCHITECTS
Area: 19,900 m²
Year: 2016
Photography: He Shu, Du Yi
Manufacturers: Koolcore, Seed, Taiwan Glass
Construction Company: Gansu No.2 Construction Engineering Group Co. Ltd
Client: Gansu Sikuwenhua Tourism Investment Co. Ltd
Structure Specialty: BIAD Architectural Design Division No.7
Professional Equipment: BIAD Architectural Design Division No.7
Stage Design: Zhejiang Joinus Cultural Technology Co. Ltd
Architect in Charge: Xiaodi Zhu
Design Team: Weiwei Hui, Qi Jia, Yuwei Fang, Gukai Huang
City: Jiuquan
Country: China
Encore Dunhuang Theater stands on the edge of the Gobi Desert near Dunhuang, a city long celebrated for its role as a cultural crossroads on the ancient Silk Road. With a gross floor area of 19,900 square meters, the building was conceived as a dedicated space for theatrical performance while also serving as a contemporary monument to the region’s history and landscape. BIAD-ZXD ARCHITECTS responded to the unique site by shaping a structure that emerges from the ground, gradually rising at the entrance before sinking back into the terrain to harmonize with height restrictions near the Mogao Caves Scenic Spot. The exterior, clad in glass mosaics of varying blue tones, evokes both water in the desert and the mineral pigments of the Mogao frescoes, creating a powerful metaphor for cultural endurance.
Architectural design dominated by industrial civilization emphasizes space production, seeking to shape architecture into an eternal material entity that combines practicality and monumentality. As the times evolve, the new technological civilization is transforming our ways of living, working, and thinking. The public’s perspectives of appreciation and the channels for widespread dissemination have brought about tremendous changes in the architectural context. Urban images and architectural information flow rapidly across massive media platforms, turning “meaningful space” into a textual object that gradually detaches from physical entities.
Interview with Zhu Xiaodi of ZXD Architects
The theater introduces itself as a vivid blue form within the barren Gobi, likened by the architects to a water droplet in the desert. This symbolism carries particular weight in Dunhuang, where resources have historically been scarce yet culture flourished. The design allows the building to manifest as a beacon of vitality and artistic expression, underscoring Dunhuang’s role in sustaining cultural exchange across centuries.
In response to contextual limitations, the building adopts a dynamic sectional profile. The northern entrance rises gradually from the landscape, guiding visitors into a zigzagging ramp that lowers them into the theater’s interior. This procession is intentionally measured, providing audiences with a sense of detachment from the outside world while preparing them for immersion in performance. The careful balance of height control and spatial volume allows the theater to comply with regulatory restrictions while asserting a distinct architectural identity.
Materiality plays a crucial role in shaping the project’s presence. The use of glass mosaics in gradations of blue and green references pigments historically employed in the Mogao Cave frescoes, while overlapping roof plates conceal structural details to produce a seamless, reflective surface. Light and shadow activate the building throughout the day, often creating mirage-like effects that blur the line between constructed form and desert horizon. This integration of visual phenomena strengthens the theater’s dialogue with its environment.
The Encore Dunhuang Theater ultimately transcends its role as a performance venue, functioning as an architectural narrative in its own right. By uniting symbolic form, historical resonance, and environmental sensitivity, the building offers a layered experience that extends beyond the stage. In doing so, it positions itself as both a cultural landmark and an expression of continuity between past and present, landscape and art.
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Project Location
Address: Dunhuang, Jiuquan, Gansu, China
The location specified is intended for general reference and may denote a city or country, but it does not identify a precise address.
