Kwan Yen People’s Station Opens / People's Architecture Office

Grand Opening of Kwan-Yen People's Station

／ Jul 30th, 2017

Built from modular prefabricated components and a variety of industrial raw materials, the Kwan-Yen People’s Station is by far the largest

The People’s Station is a cultural center designed to reinvigorate the sleepy historic center of Yantai. Situated at the edge of the business district the entire building is lifted up to invite visitors into its interior where they will find exhibitions, a reading room, and views of the ocean. Over the past weeks, residents have flocked to this destination, earning it the nickname “Yantai’s Living Room.”

The People’s Station is located in the Kwan Yen Arts District, aiming to activate the historic district and act as a public platform for conversations about modern city life.

The exhibition currently on display is anoverview of the past 7 years of People’s Architecture Office’s design work, called “Mass Interventions”. The exhibit opening coincided with the opening of the building itself.

Various lectures were held to discuss the opening of the cultural forum. Speakers included curator Ole Bouman, director of the Shekou Design Museum, and Jeffrey Johnson, Dean of the University of Kentucky College of Design, as well as Ou Ning, visiting guest at Columbia Graduate School of Arhcitecture, Planning, and Preservation, and Advisor of the Kwan-Yen Project.

After a successful opening, we look forward to what else this “new drawing room” may bring in Yantai. With its capability to foster a diverse range of activities, we hope that it emerges as a participant in the broader cultural and social lives of the people of Yantai and forges a stronger link between its urban communities.