Chanel announced the public opening of Espace Gabrielle Chanel, mainland China’s first public library dedicated to contemporary art. Located on the third floor of Shanghai’s Power Station of Art (PSA), the 18,000-square-foot library designed by Japanese architect Kazunari Sakamoto holds over 50,000 books and audio editions. The library features an upgraded exhibition hall, theater, new design center, and a terrace overlooking the Huangpu River, an architectural landmark in Shanghai.

The French fashion house’s partnership with PSA is the latest phase of the Next Cultural Producer program, the first project by the Chanel Culture Fund in Asia. The Chanel Culture Fund is a global programme of unique initiatives and partnerships that will support cultural innovators in advancing new ideas and greater representation in culture and society. The Fund seeks to champion equality of voice and give visibility to global gamechangers at a time when the arts provide a vital source of inspiration and shifting perspectives on the way we view the world. Launched at PSA in 2021, the Next Culture Producer Programme showcases new ideas and emerging movements in craft and architecture in China. Each year, the programme’s open call invites makers in related creative disciplines to propose a group exhibition. The show spotlights compelling contemporary forces and results in accessible and illuminating experiences for the public. To date, the fund has supported 50 projects in 15 countries, including major collaborations in Hong Kong, Taipei, and Seoul.

The Espace Gabrielle Chanel will house the Chinese Contemporary Art Archive, aiming to foster emerging ideas and practices in contemporary Chinese craft, architecture, and theater; it will include exhibition areas and a 300-seat public theater.

Established in 2012, the PSA is China's first state-run contemporary art museum, and it is also home to the Shanghai Biennale. The museum is situated in a former power plant and spans over 41,000 sqm, hosting works by both local and international artists, with a particular focus on architecture and design.