Valley XL development plans unveiled

The first details of Valley XL, a major new cultural development project in China, have been unveiled 

Details of Valley XL in northern China, a major hub dedicated to the arts with environmentally friendly credentials, have been unveiled at the 2018 Architecture Biennale in Venice.

Taking its name from the valley's location in Xinglong County in Hebei Province, near Beijing, Valley XL will cover 400ha and plans include a museum, artists' residencies, offices and exhibition spaces for art institutions, an arts education centre, restaurants and a wellness centre.

The development is approximately 97km from Beijing's city centre, a 20-minute trip on a new high-speed rail link scheduled to open next year. A selection of architecture and design firms have been brought together for the project. AECOM, a construction engineering consultancy, will be responsible for the overall planning and design of the project. Wang Zhenfei, co-founder and chief architect of HHD FUN, will oversee the design of the project’s main art and culture building , Valley XL Art Center; while Arquitectonica, an international architectural firm, will be responsible for the design of a selection of buildings within the project. Construction is set to begin in the second half of this year.

With an ambition to work in partnership with national and international arts institutions, Valley XL will encourage artistic development and provide new platforms for contemporary art, exhibitions, research, and artistic dialogues as well as living spaces designed with artists in mind. The core design concepts also put environmentally sustainable approaches at the heart of the development, with the aim to carefully balance the co-existence of cultural and artistic endeavours alongside the natural environment and ecotourism activities.