The brand new Ycenter for Visual Arts is a breath of fresh air, in more ways than one. Located in the old Weyerhaeuser building along Nimitz Highway, situated amid big-box outfits Home Depot, Best Buy and Costco, the new gallery is a spacious, relaxing respite from the construction and traffic whirling all around it.

While the building itself is still undergoing quite a bit of construction to ready for occupants like Party City, Ycenter is close enough to finished to function well as an art space.

Housed on the third floor, the center is a glorious loft space carefully designed to maintain the urban/industrial feel of the building's former incarnation. Yet owners Yida Wang and her husband, fellow artist Jian Jie, have renovated the more than 10,000 square feet of space into a series of galleries functional enough to show all types of art to their best advantage. In the main gallery, small factory-type windows have been replaced with wall-length window panels that allow for soft, natural lighting. (The movable panels are functional as well, allowing for transportation of large-scale works into the gallery via forklift.) Touches like a wall built of century-old bricks from torn-down buildings in China lend a richness to one of the smaller galleries on the second floor.

That second level, built by Jie (who completed all renovations), includes two smaller galleries, with skylights in one and controlled lighting in the other that will accommodate exhibits requiring a darkened room.

But Ycenter offers much more than just display space. When complete, it will also include a conference room, kitchen and bathroom for receptions, workroom, storage area and maybe even living quarters for visiting artists-in-residence.

“;This has been in our minds for a long time,”; Wang says. “;My husband and I came here from China 22 years ago, and we've visited New York and different cities to see how artwork is presented in other places. Right now in mainland China, there's lots of contemporary art. There's lots of galleries, and artists have their own spaces to work.

“;Hawaii is so expensive and has limited art space; artists need an alternative place to show their work. We want to be flexible for different needs.”;

The center also offers a refreshingly unique setting for local audiences, who already well appreciate the manicured aesthetic of the museum experience and the charm of Chinatown's art district, with its intimate galleries. Stepping outside the usual settings—indeed, stepping into an industrial district—adds the pleasure of feeling like you've discovered a hidden gem.

Wang says the couple purchased the space in the middle of last year and took just five months to renovate, including building the second floor.

“;We love having this large space in Hawaii, where there's different cultures and perspectives. It allows us to accommodate different ideas,”; Wang says.

UH GRAD STUDENTS STAGE FIRST SHOW

Ycenter's inaugural show, “;Body/Mind,”; features the works of 17 University of Hawaii-Manoa graduate art students who are advised by Ycenter owner and UH faculty member Yida Wang.

Wang says each artist created one piece for the loft space, which is about 7,000 square feet in size with high ceilings.

“;They know how big this space is, so it allows them to see their work in a totally different context than the UH Art Gallery. The idea was to have them (navigate) the tension with the space,”; she says. “;I pushed them very hard. I think their work has developed well.”;

The show features paintings, drawings, printmaking, sculpture, fiber, glass, photography and ceramics.

“;Body/Mind”; runs 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. through Friday at Ycenter for Visual Arts, 900 N. Nimitz Highway. Access the parking lot on Alakawa Street. Look for a vertical gallery banner at the double-glass-door entrance and walk up to the third floor.