Alibaba’s Hujing Digital Media & Entertainment Group Studios has opened a new A/V production studio at the company’s Beijing headquarters, designed in partnership with consulting and design firm WSDG. The completed complex includes four control rooms, a large live room and multiple isolation booths, and represents a significant infrastructure enhancement for the audio, video and gaming content development arm of the world’s largest e-commerce platform.
As the creative engine behind Alibaba’s cultural and entertainment offerings, Hujing Digital Media & Entertainment Group Studios – which includes subsidiaries Youku and the Damai Entertainment Group – required a facility capable of supporting the content creation demands of both users and industry partners.
WSDG was commissioned to deliver a full recording studio design and systems package, including master planning, acoustic design, technical interior design and A/V systems design. Beyond the technical requirements, WSDG was also tasked with defining the visual identity of the facility as a whole, while giving each a unique character matched to its specific purpose.
The project was led by WSDG Partner and Art Director Silvia Molho, and China Senior Representative Víctor Cañellas (Weike) and supported by other team members. ‘The design approach combined Alibaba’s vision for minimalist, modernist spaces with the complex technical demands of world-class A/V production,’ says Molho.
‘Each control room was designed with its own spatial logic, yet all maintain visual cohesion through light wood details and custom technical furniture. The curved ceilings and flowing soffits were not only aesthetic choices, their geometries are shaped to enhance acoustic and visual performance. Lighting follows the orientation of the acoustic treatment to emphasise structure and add movement through subtle changes in luminance and colour.’
The result is a full-chain service for film and television audio postproduction, enhancing overall work efficiency, reducing communication costs, and allowing creative teams to maintain focus on the work itself. Each of four control rooms serves a specialised purpose with equipment and design choices carefully matched to its intended use.
Control Room A (65m²) serves as the music production hub, featuring an AMS Neve Genesys Black G4 Console with ATC SCM300ASL Pro and Amphion Dolby Atmos monitoring configured for 9.1.6 production. A raised circular platform with comfortable seating allows artists to participate comfortably during mixing sessions.
Control Room B (30m²) is designated for ADR recording, with a smaller performance space located directly behind it. It includes a Kali Dolby Atmos Monitor System configured for 7.1.4. Control Rooms A and B feature sightlines to the live rooms and iso booths, maintaining visual connection between engineers and talent.
Control Room C, the larger of the two immersive mixing rooms, includes an Avid/CB Electronics Mix Controller and Genelec 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos Monitoring System, while Control Room D, also configured as an immersive mix room, includes a Kali 7.1.4 Atmos Monitoring System.
‘We worked meticulously on every ceiling, wall and object to ensure that every detail serves a technical and sensory purpose,’ Molho says. ‘Within the simple structures of the Alibaba building, we created a technical interior that offers a true journey for the senses.’
‘The final space is not only functionally sound but also reflects a profound understanding of sound and art, filled with creativity and inspiration,’ Alibaba’s Hujing Digital Media & Entertainment Group Studios Team agrees. ‘More than just a workplace, it feels like a vessel that energises and nurtures creation. We look forward to using this space to work alongside peers, focusing steadily on producing more meaningful and impactful work.’
‘Working alongside Alibaba’s Hujing Digital Media & Entertainment Group Studios’ visionary team was a masterclass in synchronised decision-making,’ Cañellas says. ‘Every schematic review, equipment selection, and finish choice was evaluated in real time, maintaining a perfect balance between creative, technical, and commercial considerations.’
Cañellas also praises the dedication of the ZhongCe Jiansheng construction team who worked through sub-zero holiday shifts to uphold WSDG’s acoustic tolerances and aesthetic standards. ‘This world-class studio stands as a testament to the passionate commitment of multiple cooperation between supremely talented teams,’ he notes.
More: www.wsdg.com