Luxury fashion house Chanel has officially opened Espace Gabrielle Chanel, marking a historic milestone as mainland China's first public library dedicated entirely to contemporary art. The groundbreaking facility opened its doors to the public on Tuesday at Shanghai's Power Station of Art (PSA), representing a significant expansion of cultural resources in China's art scene.
The impressive 18,000-square-foot library was designed by renowned Japanese architect Kazunari Sakamoto and occupies the entire third floor of the museum. The facility houses an extensive collection of more than 50,000 books and audiobooks focusing on contemporary art, with over 10,000 titles currently accessible to the general public. The library also features an upgraded exhibition hall and offers visitors a scenic terrace with panoramic views overlooking the Huangpu River.
This ambitious project represents the latest phase of Chanel's Next Cultural Producer program, which holds the distinction of being the first initiative launched by the Chanel Culture Fund in Asia. Originally launched at PSA in 2021, the program is specifically designed to foster innovative ideas and support emerging practices across various creative disciplines including contemporary Chinese craft, architecture, and theater, according to a Chanel representative.
The Chanel Culture Fund itself was established in 2021 with a mission to champion artists and cultural institutions that challenge conventional boundaries, inspire creative experimentation, and expand public imagination through strategic patronage. The fund currently supports an impressive portfolio of 50 projects spanning across 15 countries worldwide, including notable partnerships with London's prestigious National Portrait Gallery. The initiative is led by Yana Peel, who serves as Chanel's president for arts, culture, and heritage.
Speaking about the significance of this new cultural landmark, Peel emphasized that Espace Gabrielle Chanel represents Chanel's extended commitment to accelerating ideas that advance culture. She highlighted that their deepened relationship with PSA demonstrates a long-term vision that extends beyond short-term business cycles. "We're not just thinking about the next quarter in our arts patronage, we're looking to the next generation," Peel explained. She described the library as embodying the core ideology of the Chanel Culture Fund, emphasizing cross-cultural exchange, heritage preservation, archival preservation of a nation's cultural history, and showcasing cutting-edge avant-garde developments.
The new facility will serve as the permanent home for the Archive of Chinese Contemporary Art, a comprehensive collection dedicated to preserving and contextualizing contemporary art practices throughout mainland China. Additionally, the space includes a substantial 300-seat public theater, which Peel indicated will help connect the local community with an expanded range of public programming across various artistic disciplines.
Emphasizing the importance of community engagement, Peel pointed to Chanel's successful regional partnerships with prestigious institutions including M in Hong Kong, the Taipei Performing Arts Center, and Seoul's Leeum Museum of Art. She noted that over the past four years, the Next Cultural Producer program has prioritized listening to PSA's director Gong Yan and local curators to ensure the project truly serves community needs. "Ultimately, Espace Gabrielle Chanel is for the community," she stated, describing it as "a public museum for the people, where the idea of art for all is really championed."
Gong Yan, director of PSA, characterized Espace Gabrielle Chanel as both a tribute to cultural pioneers and a dynamic stage where narratives of new life, new culture, and new art continue to evolve. The Power Station of Art itself represents a remarkable transformation story, having been converted from a former power station and officially opened as a museum in 2012. PSA holds the distinction of being mainland China's first state-run museum dedicated exclusively to contemporary art and serves as the venue for the internationally recognized Shanghai Biennale.
Renaud Bailly, Chanel's president of North Asia, drew symbolic connections between the building's past and present functions, noting that the transformation of this historic riverside landmark from powering the city's first electric lights to now powering Shanghai's cultural imagination reflects both organizations' shared commitment to nurturing creativity and fostering new ideas.
When asked to speculate about how Coco Chanel, the fashion house's legendary founder, might have viewed this new cultural venture, Peel offered personal insights into the founder's character and interests. She noted that Coco Chanel was known to be an avid reader and expressed confidence that she would have been enthusiastic about attending the Shanghai opening. Peel also referenced evidence of Chanel's appreciation for Chinese culture, specifically pointing to images of West Lake in Hangzhou featured on the Coromandel screen that decorated Chanel's personal apartment on Rue Cambon, demonstrating her deep appreciation for Chinese landscape ecology and architecture.
