OōEli Hangzhou
INSIDE OUR PLACE A PLACEBUILT WITH TIME
OōEli began as a vision for JNBY’s headquarters. It became something larger: a 230,000㎡ cultural complex in Hangzhou, shaped over eight years through architecture, art, nature, work and public life. Designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop as Renzo Piano’s first project in China, OōEli reflects a belief that space should not only function — it should shape how people see, move, meet and live.
OōEli
A 230,000㎡ social ideal.
OōEli brings together offices, a contemporary art museum, artist residency, bookstore, hotel, fashion spaces and public programmes around a central plaza. For JNBY co-founder Li Lin, it was never only a headquarters, but a way to connect people through carefully considered scenes of everyday life.
Renzo Piano
OōEli was designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop, whose landmarks include Centre Pompidou in Paris, Kansai International Airport, The New York Times Building, The Shard and the Whitney Museum of American Art. At OōEli, that global experience is expressed quietly—in sunlight, circulation, proportion and comfort rather than spectacle.
Fair-faced concrete allows almost no room for concealment or correction. More than 100 specialists from Italy’s Dottor Group worked on site for over five years, testing mixtures, formwork, casting and finishing. Its apparent simplicity is the result of precision, patience and repeated making.
Anodized aluminium panels by Christian Pohl GmbH were selected to preserve a clean, light appearance over time. The façade pattern takes cues from woven fabric, while its fastening details recall buttons—allowing the headquarters of a fashion company to speak the language of clothing without becoming literal.
To keep the central plaza open to sunlight, the buildings were reduced from the permitted 11 floors to 9, with setbacks on the upper levels. The decision reduced buildable space, but protected something less measurable: the comfort of people walking, pausing and meeting below.
Two shallow water mirrors by Barcelona-based JML Water Feature Design cover the plaza with a 2 cm layer of water, turning light, architecture and movement into changing reflections. JML’s international work also includes Apple Piazza Liberty in Milan, Istanbul Modern and the water landscapes of Galaxy SOHO in Beijing.
Rooftop tea gardens, planted terraces, tree-lined plazas, sunken courtyards and dry gardens form a layered landscape across OōEli. Nearly 100 plant species were introduced, so that even the route to work becomes a changing encounter with shade, season and growth.
A City Forest
NATURE BUILT INTO THE
WORKING DAY
A City Forest
NATURE BUILT INTO THE
WORKING DAY
Rooftop tea gardens, planted terraces, tree-lined plazas, sunken courtyards and dry gardens form a layered landscape across OōEli. Nearly 100 plant species were introduced, so that even the route to work becomes a changing encounter with shade, season and growth.
THE GARDEN
Wind, Water and Void were created by Shunmyō Masuno, the internationally recognised garden designer, Zen priest and former professor at Tama Art University known for bringing Zen philosophy into contemporary landscapes. Hidden within OōEli’s sunken courtyards, the three gardens bring moments of stillness to a setting of concrete, glass and aluminium.
BY ART MATTERS
Supported by JNBY, BY ART MATTERS is a contemporary art museum woven into the everyday life of OōEli. It is led by Francesco Bonami, the internationally recognised curator behind the 50th Venice Biennale and the Whitney Biennial, bringing exhibitions, public programmes and artistic exchange closer to daily life.
Artist Residency
BY ART MATTERS RESIDENCY is a non-profit programme open to contemporary creators from around the world. Located in OōEli’s Building 17, it provides studios and living space alongside workshops, exhibitions, talks and open studios—turning the creative process itself into a form of exchange between artists, Hangzhou and the public.
TSUTAYA BOOKS
Opened at OōEli in 2020, Hangzhou TSUTAYA BOOKS was the brand’s first store in China. Founder Muneaki Masuda visited the site personally and chose a position beside the museum. Across roughly 2,000 m², books, magazines, art, objects and coffee come together as a place designed not only for shopping, but for spending time.
