You might not expect Chanel to be in the business of setting up libraries, yet that’s exactly what happened late last month. Espace Gabrielle Chanel has opened on the third floor of the Power Station of Art in Shanghai, and it’s the first of Mainland China’s government-run libraries to focus on contemporary art.
The airy, beautifully sunlit library – designed by Japanese architect Kazunari Sakamoto – has a collection of more than 50,000 books and audiobooks, and will also host the Archive of Chinese Contemporary Art. The initiative is focused on preserving and contextualising the vibrant culture of contemporary art and its practice in China.
Espace Gabrielle Chanel is part of a long-term collaboration between Power Station of Art and the Chanel Culture Fund, and is the first of the Culture Fund’s projects in Asia. The Chanel Culture Fund works to support cultural innovation and champion equality of voice globally.
For example, its programs in Paris and Seoul focus on ecology, while its work in Chicago focuses on spotlighting artists from the Global South. Its work with Power Station of Art has resulted in Espace Gabrielle Chanel, but it’s also created the Next Culture Producer Programme, which allows makers in creative disciplines to propose group exhibitions annually.
Yana Peel, Chanel’s president of arts, culture and heritage, said the space “is a living testament to Gabrielle Chanel’s conviction that art and culture are essential to everyday life”, and the library celebrates “the artists, thinkers, and innovators who continue to redefine what’s possible”.
She also said the library “embodies what is at the core of Chanel Culture Fund’s ideology – this idea of cross-cultural exchange, of honouring heritage, housing the archives of a nation, and also showcasing the best of what’s coming in the avant-garde.”
Gong Yan, director of Power Station of Art, said, “Espace Gabrielle Chanel stands as a tribute to cultural pioneers and a stage upon which the narrative of new life, new culture, and new art continues to unfold.”
Espace Gabrielle Chanel is now open to the public, and a 300-seat public theatre will soon be built in the space as well.
Have you heard? This luxury hotel in Beijing houses one of the world's largest collections of Salvador Dalí's artworks outside Spain
Plus: This luminous train station in China is among the most beautiful in the world
Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Asia newsletter for the best travel inspiration straight to your inbox.