Time Catalyst 文化センター by Zehua Zhang is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award 銅賞 in 建築・建物・構造物デザイン Competition Category.
銅建築· 2026
Time Catalyst 文化センター
by Zehua Zhang
Client: Zehua Zhang
A' Design Award 銅賞 Winner in 建築 Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #180613The Design
About Time Catalyst 文化センター
タイム・カタリストは、バレンシアの旧ワイナリーを公共の文化施設として活用する提案である。設計では既存の構造とレンガ壁を保持しつつ、採光、アクセス、内外のつながりを改善するために新たな開口部を導入している。屋根の一部を取り除くことで、設計者は建物内に光と景観を取り込む中庭を生み出している。内部にはスタジオ、展示空間、コミュニティ活動の場を備え、保存と選択的な介入のバランスを取りながら、建物が引き続き使用され続けることを可能にしている。
The Recognition
About the A' Design Award 銅賞
Time Catalyst 文化センターは、創造性、独創性、鋭い洞察力で際立つ傑出したデザインに授与される、高い権威をもつ評価である A' Design Award 銅賞の受賞作品です。銅賞の受賞作品は、十分に巧みで印象的なほど創造的な工芸品であり、デザイナーの豊富な経験、想像力、機知を裏づけています。Time Catalyst 文化センターは、高く評価され、称賛され、愛される品であり、顕著にプロフェッショナルで革新的であることが期待されます。この A' Design Award 銅賞を受賞したデザインは、芸術・科学・デザイン・技術のベストプラクティスを取り入れており、細部への配慮に優れています。Time Catalyst 文化センターは、ニーズを見事に満たし、欲求に触れ、感情を魅了し、好奇心を引きつけます。
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- Time Catalyst transforms a historic Valencia winery into a vibrant cultural center where memory and vitality coexist. Honoring its structural framework, the exterior preserves the original brick texture, while rhythmic openings at the base blur inside and outside. Interior volumes with curved facades echo the exterior, fostering fluidity and continuity, and the site embodies both the heritage and the spirit of the Fallas festival in Valencia, bridging past and future.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Two-story building with overall dimensions of 75 meters in width, 75 meters in depth, and 23 meters in height.
- Tags
- Historic preservation, adaptive reuse, brick facade, structural framework, spatial fluidity, interior-exterior continuity, cultural center, curved volumes, communal space
- Production Technology
- This design balances cultural heritage with contemporary interventions. The original brick facade was restored to preserve its texture, while curved glass panels echo its language. Inside, UHPC ultra thin concrete slabs and steel I beams combine lightness with structural stability. Computer-aided simulations and 3D modeling optimized spatial relationships, integrating old and new elements to create a dynamic, vibrant experience.
- Design Challenge
- The original materials and structure of the historic building were preserved, while selective demolition was carried out. Structural analysis was performed, and the feasibility and adaptability of introducing new building structures and materials were comprehensively evaluated.
- Research
- Type of Research: Design-based architectural research on adaptive reuse. Research Objectives: To convert a historic winery into a cultural center while preserving heritage and enhancing social use. Methodology: Analysis of history, structure, and environment, tested through simulations and models. Data Collection and Research Tools Used: Archives, drawings, site photos, 3D modeling, daylight and airflow simulations, and material studies. Results: Informed spatial layouts, openings, and materials. Insights and Impacts: Demonstrated how historic buildings can support contemporary cultural life. Effect in Real Life: Promotes heritage preservation, community interaction, and sustainable design.
- Inspiration
- Time Catalyst is inspired by the dialogue between history and contemporary life. The old winery’s brick walls carry memory, and I aimed to preserve this while introducing new vitality. Valencia’s Fallas festival, with its communal energy and fluidity, inspired the building’s openness and curved interior volumes, blurring inside and outside. The design celebrates cultural heritage while activating the space for modern social and creative life.
- Project Duration
- The project started in June 2025 and was completed in October 2025
- Operation Flow
- This is a renovation and adaptive reuse project for an old winery, preserving its historical character while introducing new vitality, transforming it into a cultural center that provides a space for local residents and artists to connect and express their creativity. The main spaces include creative studios, artist workshops, a performance hall, classrooms, exhibition areas, and a public courtyard.
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