After two years of design and construction, in May 2021, Studio Link-Arc designed Culture Center is officially completed and the sale started. The project is adjacent to the Yangtze River in Wuhan city, and it is an exhibition center for the Riverside Business Area of the Yangtze River Center. The light well penetrates three floors and brings abundant natural light to all corners of the three floors through reflections. The center showcases the quality space for the exhibition and provides an impressive experience for the visitors.

Studio Link-Arc is awarded a Winner and Selection as part of the ICONIC AWARDS 2020: Innovative Architecture for Nanjing Art Center (Link) and Cuizhu Foreign Language school respectively.

ICONIC AWARDS: Innovative Architecture, established by the German Design Council, is the first independent international architecture and design competition to take into account the interplay between the various disciplines. Awards are given to visionary buildings, innovative products and sustainable communication in all sectors of architecture, the construction and real estate business and the manufacturing industries. The focus is on holistic production and interaction between the trades in the context of architecture.

Link to ICONIC AWARDS 2020: Innovative Architecture winners.

After two years of design and construction the Hangzhou Asian Games Showroom opened to the public in October. Located in the Central Business District of the Hangzhou Asian Games Village (created for the 2022 Asian Games), the project is centered around a unique hyperboloid form (housing the showroom) located within a circular plan that echoes the logo of the Asian Games.

The project incorporates the theme and spirit of the 2022 Asian Games and propose a new urban development model for the city.

Link-Arc’s Shanghai office was officially established in January 2020. The office is led by Li Qian, formerly of Diller Scofidio + Renfro. The Shanghai office works closely with the New York office on multiple projects. The New York and Shanghai offices complement each other’s strengths, resulting in many positive outcomes in the first year.

Studio Link-Arc received the 2019 Small Project Prize for Lokadatu at World Architecture Festival 2019 in Amsterdam.

This project is an installation breaks down the traditional relationship between “artwork” and “viewer”. Instead of being viewed from a distance, our installation takes a further step—it invites viewers and passers-by inside. The viewers become part of the exhibition, and the installation connects art to architecture. Click here to learn more about Lokadatu(Six Sections).

Link to World Architecture Festival 2019 Overall Winners

On November 5^th, the award ceremony of ARCASIA AWARDS FOR ARCHITECTURE (AAA) was held in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Among 10 awards in 6 categories and 33 selected projects, Studio Link-Arc received the Dhaka Gold Award as part of the ARCASIA AWARDS FOR ARCHITECTURE (AAA)  for Nanshan Foreign Language School(Link) in Shenzhen.

ARCASIA has instituted the ARCASIA AWARDS FOR ARCHITECTURE (AAA) to encourage and recognise exemplary works done by architects working in Asia in its endeavours to raise the standard of the built environment throughout Asia in general and in its member countries in particular.

Link to ARCASIA AWARDS FOR ARCHITECTURE (AAA) 2019 Winners

Between Art & Architecture, a forum hosted by AIA Beijing, was held at the Roca Beijing Gallery on May 30, 2019. Link-Arc Principal Yichen Lu, and Han Li, founder of the Drawing Architecture Studio, joined to discuss their work in conversation. Principal Lu delivered a talk titled Making Architecture during the forum.

Link to the

The annual Forum of the Architectural Society of China was held in May 2019. Principal Yichen Lu served on a panel titled: “Urban Renewal and Development Empowerment”, and delivered a speech titled Planless, Siteless, Borderless.

On February 22, 2019, Studio Link-Arc’s Principal, Yichen Lu, attended a themed forum hosted jointly by the Architectural Society of Shanghai China and ECADI, and delivered a speech during the event.

Link to the Forum “Design Infinitive” Record

The design for the Second Phase Shenzhen Campus Masterplan for the Chinese University of Hong Kong, design by Studio Link-Arc, Richard Meier & Partners, and CCDI, was included as one of five schemes selected for the final review. Located in Shenzhen’s Longgang District, the 100-hectare masterplan incorporating 220,000 square meters of program proposes a series of urban spaces that reorient and enliven the existing campus.

Yichen Lu, Principal of Studio Link-Arc, served as a panelist at “Architecture Across Cultures: The Chinese Vanguard” at the Center for Architecture on Monday, Dec. 3.

He joined a panel to discuss his work, practice, and the lasting impact of cross-cultural architecture.

Studio Link-Arc Design Director Razvan Voroneanu was presenting our design strategy for the Luhu Cultural Center at World Architecture Festival 2018 in Amsterdam.

After four years of design and construction work, the CRLand Archive Library had its grand opening at Xiaojing Bay on July 26, 2018. A cultural exhibition titled Enriching Lives, Nurturing Dreams opened in the building on the same day. The archive collection, featuring over 10,000 physical documents and over 8 million electronic items, bears witness to 80 years of history for China Resources. Yunning Fu, Chairman of China Resources and Xi Luo, Chief Executive of China Resources, attended and hosted the opening ceremony. Over 100 attendees witnessed the historical moment of the CRLand Archive Library.

The CRLand Archive Library, designed by Studio Link-Arc, LLC, is located on the north side of China Resource University in Xiaojing Bay. The building has a total of 8 floors, and is located between the mountains and the sea, with a leaning form that echoes the mountainous topography of the area. The Archive Library serves two functions: 1) to create a high-quality preservation environment for documents and digital files; 2) to provide architecturally significant exhibition spaces on top of the archive.

The surface of the building is made up of grey brick, which brings a sense of history while maintaining a sense of architectural “firmness”. Variations in the brick texture allow light to pass through the wall, creating visual textures that influence the interior experience. Glazed bricks have been introduced into the interior finishes, leaving traces of handcraft that reflect the movement of sunlight, allowing visitors to engage with the earth, history, and craft.

The theme of the exhibition is: “Enriching Lives, Nurturing Dreams”. It includes six chapters: Prologue, Homecoming, Watching the Xiangjiang River, Long Last the Career, Spring Breeze from the Rain, and Sailing of the Ship. The exhibits include many precious items belonging to the Founder of China Resource, Lin Yang, and the first Chairman of the Board, Zhiguang Qian. The exhibition also displayed many important documents, photographs, and audio recordings. The documents shown in the exhibition starting at from very beginning, to the 80^th year of China Resources—a historical moment.

Chairman Yunning Fu delivered a speech at the opening ceremony. The completion of the CRLand Archive Library marks that China Resources’s file management business has taken a new step forward and is an important milestone in the inheritance and cultural construction of China Resources. He said: “Archives and materials are an important carrier for inheriting and carrying forward the spirit of China Resources, and an important resource for promoting the transformation and development of this company.”

Learn more about the project here: CRLand Archive Library.

Our proposal for the Luhu Cultural Center has been shortlisted for the 2018 World Architecture Festival in the Civic—Future Projects Category.

The 77,000 m2 project is defined by an ambitious program including, a theatre, an art center, and a library, all clustered around a reflecting pool that extends the nearby Hengkeng Reservoir.

Link to WAF Civic – Future Projects shortlist.

Learn more here: Luhu Cultural Center on Studio Link-Arc Website

We are proud to introduce xPositions: Pavilion Dialogues, produced in collaboration with Original Copy and MGMT. This book tells the story of the design and construction of the China Pavilion for Expo Milano 2015, via a four-part narrative.

Image by Razvan Voroneanu

Between the narrative sections, a series of interviews with designers and academics including Stefano Boeri and Daniel Libeskind use the Pavilion as a jumping-off point from which to discuss topics relevant to the state of architecture today.

Learn more here: xPositions: Pavilion Dialogues on Amazon

Studio Link-Arc in collaboration with CCDI, won a major design competition for public buildings (group) in Luhu Scientific and Technological Culture Area of Longhua District in Shenzhen, China.

Yichen Lu, Principal of Studio Link-Arc, was invited to join “A Retrospective on Ten Years of Practice in Eastern Contexts”, an exhibition and conversation at the Yale School of Architecture.

Yichen Lu, Principal of Studio Link-Arc, participated in a dialogue with Swiss architect Mario Botta at Tsinghua University Art Museum on January 22, 2018. 

Yichen Lu, Principal of Studio Link-Arc, was awarded “the 11th Architectural Design Award Emerging Architects Award” by China Architectural Association.

The construction of CRLand Archive Library designed by Yichen Lu, Principal of Studio Link-Arc was completed on December 24, 2017, and received favorable reviews from the design media.

The structure of Shenzhen Nanshan Foreign Languages School (NFLS) designed by Yichen Lu, Principal of Studio Link-Arc, was completed in November of 2017.

The 50,000 square meter building will accommodate 4,000 teachers and students working and living on campus and will maintain a three-star environmental rating (the highest possible) after its completion.

Yichen Lu, Principal of Studio Link-Arc, was invited to give a talk during the 2017 Tsinghua Design Academic Week on November 16, 2017.

The China Pavilion for Expo Milano 2015, designed by Studio Link-Arc and Tsinghua University was exhibited during 2017 Shanghai Urban Space Art Season in Shanghai’s Pudong New Area in October 2017.

Shanghai Museum East Hall designed by Yichen Lu, Principal of Studio Link-Arc was awarded “German Design Award Special 2017 Excellent Communication Design” by German Architectural Design Committee in October 2017.

Studio Link-Arc was shortlisted with MVRDV and MAD for the International Competition commissioning for Zhangjiang Future Park in Shanghai’s Pudong District in October 2017.

Yichen Lu, Principal of Studio Link-Arc, was invited as a guest speaker at the SZ-NY Symbiotic Symposium at Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation on October 14, 2017. Mr. Lu gave a lecture and joined a panel discussion with architect and curator Xiaodu Liu. The event was organized by Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism/Architecture, Architectural Practice Talks (APT), DA League, and Columbia GSAPP.

Link to the symposium information on GSAPP website

Studio Link-Arc was awarded “2017 Architectural Design Award Architecture Production Gold Medal” by China Architectural Association.

Yichen Lu, Principal of Studio Link-Arc, was invited by The Architect Magazine to participate as a juror for the TEAMZERO Award Architecture Student Design Competition.

Qinwen Cai, the Senior Associate, gave a presentation at the Boston Society of Architects on the work of Studio Link-Arc and participated in a panel discussion on the state of contemporary urbanism in China. Other participants included Yang Dingliang, a teaching fellow at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, and Chris Mulvey, Assoc. AIA, Managing Principal of Safdie Architects, currently based in their Shanghai Office.

Link to the lecture on BSA website.

Kenneth Namkung, Senior Associate at Link-Arc, and Holger Schulze Ehring, Principal at Büro Ehring gave a joint presentation on the design, engineering and construction of the China Pavilion for Expo Milano 2015 as part of Create + Construct 2016, a symposium on cultural and religious structures. Attended by many prominent members of the local A/E/C community, this presentation focused on the innovative engineering required to realize the Pavilion, and the extensive use of digital design techniques required to design and construct the Pavilion’s unique roof.

Link to Create + Construct Website

© Roland Halbe

Archinect, a well-known online resource for the architectural industry, expanded its “How To Get A Job at _____” Series by speaking with Kenneth Namkung, Senior Associate at Studio Link-Arc. The interview delves into the skill sets and sensibilities that the office looks for in prospective applicants, and touched upon portfolio presentation techniques.

Link to Web Article

Yichen Lu was invited to teach at the Syracuse University School of Architecture as a Visiting Critic for Fall 2016. Working with Razvan Voroneanu, Associate, the studio focused on a vertical site in Midtown Manhattan and asked students to consider a number of issues including: the unique urban condition of the site, the potential for creating civic space in a vertically zoned site, the relationship between interior and exterior, and the role of program.

Link to Visiting Critic Announcement

Image: Syracuse University School of Architecture/Instagram

Yichen Lu, Principal of Studio Link-Arc, gave a presentation at Harvard University and participated in a panel discussion as part of an exhibition at the GSD focused on contemporary architecture in China. A model of the China Pavilion for Expo Milano 2015 was also exhibited at the Harvard GSD as part of an accompanying exhibition.

Link to Exhibition Site

Studio Link-Arc is working with Julia Van den Hout and Kyle May of Original Copy to produce a book focusing on the China Pavilion. Tentatively titled The Pavilion Dialogues, this book is divided into four sections, each of which focuses on a specific and unique aspect of the project. These project sections are accompanied by four conversations which use the China Pavilion as a starting point from which to discuss a number of issues critical to architecture and the contemporary world.

Link to Original Copy Website

Studio Link-Arc was recognized by Architectural Record as part of Design Vanguard 2016, and was published in the magazine’s December 2015 issue. The article featured an in-depth profile of the office and its principal, and also featured four of the firm’s recent projects.

Link to Article

Archicreation, a China based architectural publisher that also serves as the Chinese distributor of El Croquis, recently published a comprehensive book focused on the design and construction of the China Pavilion. The 240 page bilingual publication includes: essays by academics, dialogues with consultants, collaborators and the design team, and detailed explanations of the design and construction process.

Link to Book on Archicreation Website

Yichen Lu, Principal of Studio Link-Arc, gave a lecture at the Syracuse University School of Architecture on September 15, 2015. Titled ‘From Nature to Artifact,’ the lecture explained the design and construction of the China Pavilion in great detail.

Link to Profile at Syracuse University School of Architecture
Link to Video

The China Pavilion for Expo Milano 2015 was a major contender for the WAN Façade Award 2015. The project, defined by a singularly unique bamboo-paneled roof—the project’s fifth façade—was selected for the award longlist by a panel of well-known practitioners and designers. See the links below for more information.

Link to China Pavilion on World Architecture News
Link to WAN Façade Award 2015 Longlist

The China Pavilion for Expo Milano 2015 was a contender for the WAN Wood in Architecture 2015 Awards. The project, defined by an innovative wood structure, was selected for the award longlist by a jury made up of well-known architects. See the links below for more information.

Link to China Pavilion on World Architecture News
Link to WAN Wood in Architecture 2015 Longlist

© Sergio Grazia

Bodino Engineering, one of the contractors for the China Pavilion, shared a time-lapse video diary of the construction process.

Yichen Lu, Studio Link-Arc’s principal, was interviewed by Fred Bernstein for Architectural Record.

Link to article

Yichen Lu, Principal of Studio Link-Arc, gave a lecture at the 5th International Wood Construction Forum, held in Nancy. His talk on the China Pavilion for Expo Milano 2015 was the final presentation of the conference, which focused on timber construction. He was interviewed after the lecture (his talk starts at 2:39 in the linked video).

Link to conference program

Link to video

Yichen Lu, Principal of Studio Link-Arc, was invited to give a lecture at the Politecnico di Milano. He gave a comprehensive talk, delving into his own career and the history of the office, leading into a detailed presentation on the design, engineering, and construction of the China Pavilion.

A full-scale mockup of a portion of the China Pavilion roof was exhibited at the Made Expo, a trade show for architects, contractors, and engineers. The show was held at the Milano Rho exhibition grounds, near the Expo site, between the 18th to the 21st of March, 2015.

The mockup, produced by Bodino Engineering S.r.L., showed the full complexity of the China Pavilion’s roof, including the timber structure, PVC waterproofing, supporters, and bamboo panels.

Tsinghua University and Studio Link-Arc were honored by the German Design Council for the China Pavilion, which was awarded a “Special Mention” as part of the 2015 German Design Awards. The ceremony was held at the Forum of the Frankfurt Exhibition Grounds.

Link to online gallery

Tsinghua University and Studio Link-Arc were awarded “Best of Best 2014” as part of the German Design Council’s 2014 Iconic Awards. The ceremony was held in October at BMW World in Munich.

From the Iconic Awards Website:

“The Iconic Awards is the first neutral international architecture and design competition that focuses on how the disciplines interact….It acknowledges visionary architecture, innovative products and sustainable communication from all fields of architecture, the construction and property sectors and the manufacturing industry in five main categories.”

A ceremony featuring a traditional lion dance was held in Milan on September 4th to celebrate the beginning of above-ground construction for the China Pavilion.

Link to Milan Expo 2015 Official Website Report

Principal Yichen Lu presented a lecture at the 2014 China Cultural Building Design & Operation Congress in Shanghai, which focused on innovations and trends in the design of cultural buildings in China.

Yichen Lu spoke with Qing Zhong, a writer for Jing Daily regarding his education, career, and working method. In addition, he described the design process for the China Pavilion for Expo Milano 2015.

Link to article

Studio Link-Arc’s master plan for Xiaojingwan, a mixed-use development in Guangdong, is currently under construction. The unique design celebrates city life, enhances the experience of the waterfront, and connects to the landscape, creating a vibrant urban space. Phase II of the 550,000 square meter master plan will be completed in 2015.

The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade publicly released the design for the China Pavilion for Expo Milano 2015.

Link to CCTV report