# Majestic Mountainous Structures The Harbin Cultural Island is Inspired by the Ice City Itself By Meghan Young | Published 2011-05-13 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/harbin-cultural-island References: [fastcodesign](http://www.fastcodesign.com/1663731/mad-to-build-mountainous-cultural-island-in-china) & [i-mad](http://www.i-mad.com) There is something truly majestic and graceful about the Harbin Cultural Island. I guess the fact that it looks like a monumental, man-made mountain would do the trick. Its simple, sweeping lines and snow-white exterior also gives it the look of gently sculpted ice caps. Considering that Harbin, China is known as the Ice City, I definitely see where the inspiration comes from. Designed by China's own [MAD Architects](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-lucas-museum-of-narrative-arts), the Harbin Cultural Island is a 117,000 square-meter development that will act as a public space for theaters, studios, education facilities, an exhibition space and a variety of retail. Of course, it's the public park that will truly draw a crowd as it will take up about 70% of the space. Surely the Harbin Cultural Island will also entice more tourists to this frosty land. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 1.2/10 - Popularity: 11% | Activity: 18% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) > [Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/design) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Sculpted Architecture:** Majestic and graceful architecture that resembles sculpting provides an avenue for innovative designs. - **Public Parks:** Integrating public parks as the centerpiece of large-scale developments can attract and cater to more people. - **Cultural Development:** Developing cultural spaces and zones can enhance tourism and create an interest in visiting and exploring the area. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Architecture:** There is an opportunity for architects to rethink how they design buildings, considering how sculpting can play a part in architecture. - **Tourism:** A focus on creating culturally significant and unique developments can help boost the tourism industry. - **Construction:** Incorporating public parks in large-scale developments can create a new design challenge for the construction industry to solve. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Elaborate Winter Activities](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-city-of-harbin.md) - [Ice Block-Formed Pavilions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/falling-hours.md) - [Dynamic Installation Science Museums](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hainan-science-museum.md) - [Water Flow-Inspired Art Buildings](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nanhai-arts-center.md) - [Sculptural Cultural Hubs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/aydc-public-art-centre.md) - [Landscape-Concealed Cultural Centers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/chaohu-natural-and-cultural-centre.md) - [Sweeping Culture Centers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/river-culture-and-art-centre.md) - [Maze-Inspired Performance Spaces](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/city-of-time.md) - [Arched Garden-Topped Cultural Centers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hengqin-culture-and-art-complex.md)