Volume and the Nieuwe Instituut present Stress Relief at UABB in ShenzhenVolume and the Nieuwe Instituut present Stress Relief at UABB in Shenzhen

While the stream of large-scale design projects has slowed down—unlikely to return—and fewer students choosing a career in architecture, the future of the profession looks uncertain. It's clear that the profession needs to reinvent itself. For that to happen, it is in dire need of more headspace and stress relief.

With the support of the Embassy of the Netherlands in Beijing and the Consulate General of the Netherlands in Guangzhou, Volume and the Nieuwe Instituut invited Dutch and Chinese architects to propose new punching bags that can help vent frustration and start the conversation on the future of the profession.

The installation Stress Relief is comprised of a boxing ring that shows custom made punching bags designed by renowned Dutch and Chinese architects including UNStudio, MAD Architects, Yanfei architects, and Jurgen Bey among others. The boxing ring is designed by HyperSity with support from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing and features traditional Guangdong ornamentation. Visitors to the biennale are encouraged to relieve any stress or anxiety on the bags in different forms: punching, contemplating, embracing...

The installation is located as one of the center pieces of this year’s edition at the Hetao Innovation Center, close to the border between Shenzhen and Hong Kong. Besides giving space for urban boxing and exercising, it will be used as one of the main event platforms.

Yang Shi, Principal & Founding Partner at hyperSity: “At the heart of the installation is a symbolic boxing ring, stripped of confrontation and combat, dressed instead in celebratory attire. It is no longer an arena for determining winners but an open and equal stage for dialogue. The ring itself draws from the visual language of traditional Lingnan flower plaque—vibrant architectural motifs, dopamine-driven color combinations, and playful typographic symbols—reinterpreted through contemporary materials and lighting. This transforms the Western concept of a boxing space, focused on individual physical release, into an Eastern context of collective “celebration” and “blessing.” The act of punching evolves from mere physical venting into an encouraged and culturally sanctioned expression of energy within a communal setting. Thus, the ring becomes a secure container for stress relief, wrapped in cultural reassurance.”

Following its award winning and critically acclaimed Bursting Bubbles installation at the Venice Architectural Biennale, this installation aims at further expanding Volume’s presentation forms — expanding the boundaries of the magazine, while seeking to find original presentation that resonate with visitors and new audiences.

Stephan Petermann, Editor In Chief of Volume: “For close to 100 years it has been Volume’s ambition to articulate and address shared concerns in the design profession. Over the years I have seen more architects in China struggle to deal with the challenging professional conditions, too often at great personal expense. The installation tries to give a platform to share this burden and use the creative potential of renewal and rejuvenation.”

Francien van Westrenen, Head of Agency at the Nieuwe Instituut: “Dutch and Chinese architects share a history of exchange, curiosity, and shared learning. Since 2013, Nieuwe Instituut, the Netherlands’ national museum for architecture, design, and digital culture, has been actively engaged with UABB. The Stress Relief installation and its public programme opens space for dialogue—slowing down, reflecting, and caring for the conditions under which architecture takes shape—while reaffirming our commitment to long-term collaboration.”

Around the UABB’s closing finissage, Volume and the Nieuwe Instituut will host a public program and workshop on at the Stress Relief installation in Shenzhen around the theme of slowing down and speeding up that will connect Dutch and Chinese architectural expertise.

Stress Relief is supported by the Embassy of the Netherlands in Beijing and the Consulate General of the Netherlands in Guangzhou emphasising the importance of continued cultural exchange between China and the Netherlands.

UABB is open until March 15th 2026. After this, Stress Relief will be available to travel or will be dismantled and recycled. For more information about the Stress Relief public programme at UABB, visit Volume's website.

Volume is a bi-annual magazine for architecture and design and is a collaboration between Archis and Nieuwe Instituut. The magazine is a cross-pollinator between the in-depth editorial content of Volume and the research and programmes of the Nieuwe Instituut, while maintaining its editorial independence.

The Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture (UABB) is an international event that focuses on urbanism and urbanisation. Alternating between the host cities of Shenzhen and Hong Kong, UABB is situated within the regional context of the rapidly urbanising Pearl River Delta. The biennale addresses globally shared urban issues and actively engages with a broad public audience. It presents contemporary visual culture and operates at the intersection of international exchange, avant-garde practice, and public discourse.

Nieuwe Instituut participated in previous editions of the UABB Shenzhen with contributions that include Have we met? (2022), Dalang Fever 3: How Data Can Empower a Migrant Society (2019), Automated Landscapes: Time, Cycles, Automata (2019), Rise and Shine (2015), and Made By Us (2013).