Building a space for culture

Rustic wooden stairs and multicolored glass windows immediately set Tai’anli apart from the surrounding hutong. The cultural and arts center in the capital city’s Xicheng district is tucked away inside a 70-meter-long alley that is paved with white cobblestones.

Green plants and gray gravel adorn the semi-open space that houses six small buildings, where exhibitions, a cafe, and a women’s bookstore inject a sense of modernity.

Tai’anli was originally a residential complex when it was first built in the 1910s, when the neighborhood area was the most fashionable place in Beijing, integrating shopping, dining, and entertainment, similar to the current CBD (central business district), says Hu Xuejing, an official in charge of the center’s operations.

One of the iconic buildings in the area at that time, Tai’anli covers a not inconsiderable area of 3,120 square meters.