Simple Art Museum

Simple Art Museum

HAS design and research

Simple Art Museum
© W Workspace

CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANT
Zaiwei Song

LEAD ARCHITECTS
Jenchieh Hung, Kulthida Songkittipakdee

CONSTRUCTOR
Guangdong Xingyi Decoration Group Anhui Co., Ltd

DESIGN TEAM
Jenchieh Hung, Kulthida Songkittipakdee, Atithan Pongpitak

LIGHTING CONSULTANT
Jenna Tsailin Liu, Visual Feast (Vf)

LANDSCAPE CONSULTANT
Weili Yang

AREA
1150 M²

YEAR
2024

LOCATION
Hefei, China

CATEGORY
Museum, Exhibition Center, Gallery

Simple Art Museum
© W Workspace

Text description provided by architect.

In the early 21st century, China witnessed a remarkable surge in museum construction. Cities blossomed under the banner of cultural revival, historical reimagination, and social care, shaping a new international vision for the nation's urban landscape.

Over the past two decades—marked by monumental events like the Beijing Olympics, the Shanghai World Expo, the Hangzhou Asian Games, and the global pandemic—Chinese cities have transformed.

Simple Art Museum
© Fangfang Tian
Simple Art Museum
© W Workspace

The towering architecture that once symbolized progress has evolved into a more humanistic, life-centered, artistic, and socially conscious approach to urban regeneration.

Amid this cultural evolution stands the Simple Art Museum, a contemporary art museum that delves into the reflections of artists on society and the environment. 

Simple Art Museum
© W Workspace
Simple Art Museum
© W Workspace

Nestled in Anhui, China, in a burgeoning urban development on the old city's edge, the museum bridges the gap between past and present. The region, famed for its distinctive Hui-style architecture, is marked by iconic elements—roofs, gables, columns, and gardens—that tell the tale of its strategic cultural significance. 

As the city grows, the museum faces the challenge of infusing new cultural meaning while honoring the legacy of its historic roots.

Simple Art Museum
© Fangfang Tian
Simple Art Museum
© W Workspace

Architects Jenchieh Hung and Kulthida Songkittipakdee, founding principals of HAS Design and Research, present a fresh cultural vision through their innovative design. 

Drawing inspiration from Anhui's traditional architectural forms, the museum reinterprets elements such as roofs and gables, transforming them into a contemporary space where the human spirit and social interaction converge.

Simple Art Museum
© W Workspace
Simple Art Museum
© W Workspace

The design extends the essence of the Hui-style village, incorporating a floating, undulating roof that evolves from the inward-facing, fireproof gable into a symbolic structure, opening outward to embrace the public. 

This continuous form creates a seamless indoor environment for artistic expression, housing art exhibitions, galleries, workshops, multimedia rooms, design salons, and cafés. The architecture flows effortlessly into the interior's curving walls, offering a graceful translation of tradition into modernity.

Simple Art Museum
© Fangfang Tian
Simple Art Museum
© W Workspace

On the ground floor, an expansive grey space invites dialogue, care, and connection, reflecting the local community's yearning for shared experiences. 

This space stirs the imagination, drawing residents towards art and beauty, infusing the ordinary with a sense of the extraordinary. 

Simple Art Museum
© Fangfang Tian
Simple Art Museum
© W Workspace

Above, the museum's jagged roof echoes the exhibition spaces below, supported by curved walls that create a winding path reminiscent of Chinese gardens, where natural light and shadow dance together, creating a timeless atmosphere. 

The upper level, a hub of open art offices, continues the narrative of the ground floor's exhibition space. Curving and undulating walls dissolve the rigid boundaries of traditional workspaces, fostering creativity and collaboration. In this way, the museum transcends its role as a container for art, becoming an incubator for ideas.

Simple Art Museum
© Fangfang Tian
Simple Art Museum
© W Workspace

Situated near the Nanfei River, often called the "Mother River of Hefei," the museum draws inspiration from the rippling waters that have shaped the region for millennia. 

Hung And Songkittipakdee (HAS) ingeniously capture this fluidity in their design, with curved walls and a wave-like roof mirroring the river's natural rhythm. As sunlight filters through in the afternoon, the building becomes a living reflection of the Nanfei's shimmering surface—an abstract masterpiece in itself. 

Simple Art Museum
© Fangfang Tian
Simple Art Museum
© Fangfang Tian

By day, the museum's roof casts wide swaths of shadow across the external plaza, offering visitors a place to pause and reflect. In the afternoon, light seeps through openings, bathing the interior in a sacred glow, creating a space of ethereal beauty.

By night, the museum glows from within, a beacon of belonging in the shifting urban landscape. The Simple Art Museum is more than just a gallery or cultural exhibition space; it is a place where architecture invites wonder, where past and present converge in a timeless dance. 

Simple Art Museum
© W Workspace
Simple Art Museum
© W Workspace

Architects Jenchieh Hung and Kulthida Songkittipakdee have crafted a building that not only houses art but also awakens a deep curiosity for beauty. It offers a cross-generational spirit, connecting tradition and contemporary culture amidst the concrete city.


Simple Art Museum
© W Workspace
Simple Art Museum
© W Workspace
Simple Art Museum
© W Workspace
Simple Art Museum
© W Workspace
Simple Art Museum
© W Workspace


Simple Art Museum
© W Workspace
Simple Art Museum
© W Workspace
Simple Art Museum
© W Workspace
Simple Art Museum
© W Workspace


Simple Art Museum
Illustration - Curved wall and the opening connect to the open office
Simple Art Museum
Illustration - Open office
Simple Art Museum
Illustration - Special Gallery
Simple Art Museum
Illustration - Main Gallery Hall
Simple Art Museum
Illustration - Simple Art Museum


Simple Art Museum
Plan - Ground floor
Simple Art Museum
Plan - 2nd floor


Simple Art Museum
West elevation
Simple Art Museum
Section


Simple Art Museum
First sketch
Simple Art Museum
Integration options between architecture and space
Simple Art Museum
Space design