Baoji Culture and Art Center

Surrounded by the beautiful Wei River, the Baoji Culture and Art Center is easily spotted at the No. 1 Baoyan Road from the Jintai District within Baoji City. Those who decide to visit the center will discover that it features several distinct areas: a science and technology museum, a concert hall, two art galleries, a library, and a youth activity center.

To provide such variety, the center was constructed in phases, starting with the library and youth activity center.

During this first phase of construction, the center was built within the old site of a Baoji cigarette factory, using a total land area of 95,000 m² (1,022,572 ft²). To commemorate the urban aspect of the old factory that used to stand there, the Baoji Culture and Art Center was built with parts of the factory’s buildings. Then, to give the center a more modern look, the center’s owner went with an architectural style that fused traditional designs from the Zhou and Qin dynasties. All of which allowed the center to adopt a mesmerizing layout that twists and turns, establishing it as a notable landmark that could symbolize Baoji City’s leap in development.

However, the center wasn’t yet complete. Next came the second phase of construction that would create its science and technology museum, concert hall, and two art galleries. Before this could happen, though, the new areas would first need protection from potential water ingress.

Solution

Due to the center’s close proximity to the Wei River, its ingress protection requirement was considered to be Level One, which meant the structure could not have any water seepage or apparent water marks. Adding to this challenge, the designer of the center also wanted to use anti-seepage concrete alongside permeability-reducing admixtures.

To resolve this situation, the project team working on the center’s renovation and expansion went with one of Kryton’s distributors, Guangdong Longhu Sci. & Tech. Co. Ltd. Under the distributor’s guidance, they chose Kryton’s waterproofing admixture, KIM. In turn, they added over 100 tons of KIM to 25,175 m³ (32,927.66 yd³) of concrete underground, giving the Baoji Culture and Art Center’s new areas a solid foundation.