ZHUHAI MUSEUM
Gmp Architects
AREA
55807 m²
ARCHITECTS
Gmp Architects
YEAR
2020
PHOTOGRAPHS
CreatAR Images
DESIGN
Meinhard von Gerkan and Stephan Schütz with Nicolas Pomränke
COMPETITON TEAM
Verena Kiewardt, Michael Reiss, Jochen Sültrup, Thilo Zehme, Bin Zhou
COMPETITION LEAD
Clemens Kampermann
DETAILED DESIGN TEAM
Anna von Aulock, Min Li, Andreas Maue, Xin Pan, Michael Reiss, Kristin Schoyerer, Sabine Stage, Jochen Sültrup
PROJECT LEAD, DETAILED DESIGN
Clemens Kampermann
PROJECT MANAGEMENT IN CHINA
Ji Xu
CLIENT
HUAFA Group
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
Rehwaldt Landschaftsarchitekten
PARTNER OFFICE IN CHINA
China Academy of Building Research (CABR)
LOCATION
Zhuhai, China
LIGHTING DESIGN
Lichtvision Design GmbH, Schlotfeldt Licht
CATEGORY
Museums & Exhibit
Text description provided by architect.
Located on Zhuhai’s coastal road, the new museum benefits from the proximity of the water as well as the mountains and a park in the background, whilst also being close to the opera house.
Both buildings, the museum/exhibition complex and the opera house, represent a new statement for the entrance to Zhuhai city for travelers coming from the north.
The design of the Zhuhai Museum comprises a vertical and a horizontal tract based on rectangular foot- prints. Together, they combine to form a sculptural ensemble.
This contrasting duality reflects both the local situation between the mountains and the coast, and also the museum program the exhibition areas provide visitors with a view into the past and the future of the city.
The architects of gmp synchronize both these aspects to create a uniform architectural gesture.
Visitors enter the museum from the coastal road via the foyer in the linking part between the two tracts.
The horizontal part of the building to the south facing the mountains exhibits, on three exhibition levels, the his- tory of the city’s development in this traditional coastal region at the Pearl River Delta.
In the exhibition area dedicated to the planning of the town, visitors to the museum are guided upwards along a spiral gangway to explore the cascading sequence, over eight floors, of stacked exhibition rooms.
The spiral terminates in a room exhibiting a 30 x 40-meter model of the city. Internally, the spiral is part of the exhibition and links the different levels, whilst on the outside open staircases provide access to the building sculpture.
The facade has been designed following the basic idea of a mutually inspiring duality. Solid bands of light-col- ored granite and facade panels of glass and aluminum in a warm bronze shade create a play between light and dark and, in the exhibition area for the town planning, clearly replicate the ascent of the spiral.
The movable solar screening panels with traditional Chinese patterns also consist of bronze-colored aluminum. At night, when parts of the facade are invitingly illuminated, the light follows the spiral, thus easing the solidity of the natural stone bands.
On the 8th floor, floor-to-ceiling glazing opens up the natural stone facade, pro- viding a view across Xiangzhou Bay.
