"I just want people to enjoy themselves. No one is expected to buy anything. It offers a place where modern art lovers can meet, chat and exchange ideas over a coffee or something stronger," said Li.

Every month, the warehouse will organize an exhibition, inviting artists from around the country or even the world to participate. In the June event, violinist Qianzhou and Italian pianist Enrico Elisi will give a classical music concert.

The enormous spaces available inside the old workshops, with their large windows, high ceilings, exposed ductworks and electrical conduits, open interiors and great iron doors, provide the freedom for designers to create their own unique creative and spiritual spaces, Li says.

As artists will utilize these loft features, the transformations from factory buildings to working spaces have not required great changes - while still allowing the artists to reveal their own creative characteristics, Li added.

The 600-square-metre gallery has a vast interior space. The rooms are 6-7 metres high, giving visitors a sensational feeling that not only thoughts could soar in such a space - even your body could.

Many aspects of the original warehouses have been preserved, with the addition of simple artistic touches.

Great rusty red iron doors acted as the gallery's front and back doors, rugged white bricks formed the main halls' wall and in the middle was a huge fireplace used to warm the huge space in the winter.

Against the white wall stood a red cafe bar, positioned next to the main hall. This dramatic contrast of colours added to the unique visual environment.

Selected tables and chairs furnished the small bar, making it an ideal space for an enjoyable afternoon tea or liquid refreshment in the evening.

For the interior, designers had cut through the huge space and built a corridor leading off from the side of the bar. Light filtered down from the upper ceilings to the floor, enlivening the atmosphere of the space.

*Pan Tianshou Art Saloon

The Pan Tianshou Art Saloon, owned by artist Zhu Renmin, is another free gallery in Loft 49.

While examining Zhu's traditional-style Chinese paintings, visitors could be deeply touched not only by his art pieces but also his legendary life.

Zhu bought an island in Zhoushan of Zhejiang Province for himself and devoted 10 years to creating artworks on the island, in which he revealed his unique understanding of architecture, landscaping, painting and sculpture.

After finishing his works, Zhu carved the words "free of charge forever" on a stone at the entrance to the island, to which he had devoted at least 10 million yuan (US$1.23 million).

"I wanted to offer my works of art free to the world, introducing a pure artistic world," said Zhu, grandson of Pan Tianshou, one of the most important traditional Chinese painters of the 20th century.

Zhu recounted that initially it was not for artistic reasons that he chose Loft 49. The large space and cheap rent attracted him in 2003.

Loft 49 has already nestled its way into the minds of local Hangzhou artists, with more and more artists settling in the art factory and many new "lofts" under renovation on the site.

For example, next to Common Place, there are Du Yubo's Design Ideas Company and photographer Pan Jie's studio. A building built primarily from glass belongs to the sculptor Wang Qiang.

Li Jiawen said he hoped Loft 49 would become a centre of modern art and design, providing the city of Hangzhou with a new artistic atmosphere.

Loft 49
Location: No.49, Hangyinlu