Valley XL: A $2.8 Billion Art District Rising Near Beijing

During the opening of the 16th Venice Architecture Biennale, Chinese financial giant Guangdong Yuegang Investment Development announced plans for Valley XL, a massive art district in Hebei, a suburb of Beijing. The project, with an investment of 18 billion Renminbi (about $2.8 billion), will cover 400 hectares and include a museum, art production center, fine arts school, artist residencies, offices, exhibition spaces, restaurants, gyms, spas, and residential and commercial areas. Designed by Miami-based Arquitectonica with engineering support from AECOM, the district aims to boost China's domestic art market and promote cultural activities and ecotourism. It will be built to high environmental standards, preserving the surrounding landscape. Construction is set to begin in the second half of 2018, with the first building, the Valley XL Art Center designed by architect Wang Zhenfei, opening in 2019. A high-speed rail line will connect the district to Beijing, reducing travel time to 20 minutes. The project is privately funded by Guangdong Yuegang Investment Development and Shenzhen XL Culture Development Co.