South-Western Minority Cultural Center sits at the heart of Xingyi City, Guizhou Province, bringing together a library, museum, and community arts center into one vibrant cultural complex. Nestled within the city’s orderly grid layout, the building’s design echoes this structure, creating a clear, harmonious relationship with its urban surroundings.

While each facility serves different purposes, they share similar spatial needs: large main activity areas, storage and archival spaces, and administrative or research zones. The design organizes the building into three parallel zones from south to north: the southern zone accommodates storage and support facilities, the central zone hosts the main exhibition, activity, and reading areas, and the northern zone provides smaller, flexible spaces that can adapt to changing functions.

The central zone is the heart of the center. Strategically placed courtyards and atriums bring natural light deep into the interior, creating a welcoming and lively atmosphere. This arrangement offers several advantages: it brightens otherwise dark areas, provides efficient circulation with grouped elevators and stairs shared by all three facilities, enhances the overall spatial quality, and creates a striking entrance hall. The entrance atrium is bathed in soft white light and dotted with colorful accent lights, evoking fluttering butterflies and reflecting the romantic, serene character of Bouyei culture.

Overall, the South-Western Minority Cultural Center combines modern functionality with local cultural identity. It offers a dynamic public space where visitors can read, explore, learn, and engage with the arts, all while celebrating regional traditions and connecting seamlessly with the city around it.