The Concave House was designed by the Tao Lei Architect Studio and is located in downtown Benxi, Liaoning Province, NE China. The client, famous Chinese artist Dazhong Feng, required a private residence in addition to a studio and gallery to be contained within the building. The hollowed out cube shape is based on the Chinese symbol AO and also means concave.
The austere external appearance of the structure is in direct contrast with the interior. 3 internal courtyards, namely the book yard, the bamboo yard and the mountain yard as well as the entrance containing a water feature, provide harmonious areas of contemplation. Many of the aspects of the design are inspired by traditional Chinese building styles but in a contemporary fashion.
Situated in an area with a cold climate, insulation was of vital importance. To this end, especially made 600mm long bricks with a translucent finish were used on the external walls. This multi-function building, neither entirely public or private offers a profound cultural experience to residents and visitors alike and is an example of the best in oriental modern architecture.
