Back in the 2010, MAD Architects won the competition to design the cultural center of Harbin. Recently, in August 2013, the structure of the Cultural Center was completed and the project finally began to take shape. The city of Harbin has the reputation as the musical capital of the north and is influenced by both Chinese and Russian culture. MAD’s cultural center, unlike many public facilities of the similar kind, wasn’t designed to be the lonely landmark in the city center, but the natural continuation of the human spirit.

The Cultural Island embraces the riverbank and appears as a glacier stretching and connecting the banks into a cohesive whole. The movement of the terrain strategically directs the flow of people from different directions to the entrance of Harbin Theater and Harbin Labor Recreation Center. The ramp of the Grand Theater guides people in, resembling a mountain path. The entire building acts as an undulating snow covered mountain, following a natural rhythm.

The cladding of the Cultural Center is custom-made, in pure white aluminum. Mimicking ice and snow, the white stone and concrete are also used as for the part of the wall. During the day, the need for interior lighting can be completely satisfied with energy-saving and special lighting effects.

The project began to take shape and the building’s façade and the interior design and landscape are expected to be finished during the next year. As it aims to facilitate the blend of humanity, art and nature in the north, the new cultural center in Harbin will become the center of the city’s spirit.