When we examine tradition and new exploration, while maintaining a sensitivity towards space, material, life and culture, we find works of art and design with that have both affinity and vitality. Breaking away from the traditional concept of a bookshop, the Arts Bridge Space brings together publishing, art and exhibition, extending the positive interplay between art and nature to create a unique aesthetic of goodwill.

The main focus of the Arts Bridge Space, as an offline physical site, is to explore the possible boundaries of space, including the coexistence of and relationship between the dichotomies of tradition and modernity, and agricultural and industrial civilisation. Based on the idea of a bridge, this space is not only a means to overcome obstacles, but also a platform on which the above can be connected. Furthermore the space facilitates interaction between readers and creators, fusing art and daily life to create a comprehensive lifestyle space in which content is produced and developed.

From a design perspective, convergence is a type of technique used, but opposition on the other hand, such as contrasting different cultures, can result in new experiences and thinking that too has its own value within design. The Arts Bridge Space combines installations with diverse concepts together with books and art to create a comprehensive product system.

The traditional weaved bamboo installation, which extends from outside through to the ceiling of the interior, follows the form of the building. The resilient bamboo structure creates soft arcs like interwoven stalks of golden wheat and an overall sense of flow that lends the space both identity and flexibility, extending its visual boundaries. The natural simplicity of this traditional folk art stands in sharp contrast to the postmodern style of the bookshop building itself. In the central atrium, the “virtual landscape” of the natural bamboo installation creates a dialogue between space and time. The layering of one Y-shape upon another builds a visual space combining multiple structures that extend to the gingko tree in the centre of the space, as though describing the process of coming from nature, mimicking nature and returning to nature.

Xu Gang, founder of the product design brand Bentu in 2011, designed the recycled concrete tables, chairs and shelves in the space. Over the past eight years, he re-examined, developed and innovated upon this common construction material, combining recycled concrete with different fibres to create a material similar to fair-faced concrete.

The interior of the Arts Bridge Space brings together a collection of seemingly unrelated artworks covering traditional handicrafts, art installation and recycled industrial waste, which together create a systematic space that is simultaneously hard and soft.