The news from Sichuan. The Chengdu (come “Chengdoo” –go figure) website reports that it will create the largest stand-alone structure known to man. The amenities include two, five star hotels, a beach, a coastal town and a hot springs.
The project has already released an English-language promotional video:
Happily, 1/3 of the entire project will be dedicated to a Contemporary Art Center, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects. Certainly looking impressive:
The modern art gallery will cover 30,000 square meters and be the largest such structure in China. That’s a fraction of MOMA’s 185,000, and about 1/2 the size of the Louvre, but plenty large in the context of such a massive project. Such a project will certainly put Chengdu on the map (not that its not already) in terms of contemporary art. That said, curatorial decisions will be key in terms of how much cultural ROI such investment brings.