Auction house China Guardian has commissioned architects Büro Ole Scheeren to design its new home. Far from being simply a headquarters, the Guardian Art Centre will also include a museum and 120-room hotel alongside the auction house. Restaurants, an event space and courtyard complete the mix.

Construction is now underway on the mixed-use cultural complex, close to the Forbidden City in Beijing, China. The project had to go through four years of intensive planning with the capital’s authorities to get to this stage.

Büro Ole Scheeren has designed a building that draws on aspects of traditional Chinese life – such as Beijing’s famous hutong – narrow streets or alleys which are formed by rows of courtyard residences – while maintaining a contemporary architecture suited to the commercial-cultural mix of the hybrid space. The building's central courtyard is a 1,700sqm (18,00sq ft) exhibition and event space.

“The Art Centre celebrates history and tradition while also representing an important social and civic amenity for the capital.” said the client, China Guardian’s chairman and founder Chen Dongsheng.