From a factory to a temple of art, the architecture of the HIVE CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY ART has not always been so essential and refined. Seventeen years ago, in fact, this building was an industrial workshop, later converted into an exhibition space for the Iberian Contemporary Art Center.
Since 2013, with the arrival of HIVE CENTER, the 4,000 square meters of the structure have become the largest single-building gallery in the 798 Art District. From the very beginning, the center set out to offer an open and diverse exhibition platform for contemporary art, establishing itself as one of the most dynamic and influential art institutions in China.
At the entrance of the HIVE CENTER, four columns suspended between history and modernity welcome visitors with strong symbolic significance.
In Sun Daxiong’s concept, these columns are inspired by the colonnade of the Karnak Temple, enhancing the perception of scale and the ceremonial solemnity of the space. It is precisely in this area that Microtopping® was applied.
2024
Beijing, China
Designer: Dayong Sun