iADC Design Museum by Rocco Design Architects Associates

The Art & Design Museum, situated at the heart of Shapu Art Town in Shenzhen's Bao'an District, is designed as a cultural hub and landmark for a new neighborhood built on a previously undeveloped plot of land...

© Arch-Exist 存在建筑

Architect: Rocco Design Architects Associates
Client: Shenzhen Manjinghua Investment Group
Location: Shapu, Bao’an District, Shenzhen, China
Year: 2019
GFA: 12,900 sq. m
Site Area: 18,000 sq. m
Design Team: Rocco Yim, Derrick Tsang, William Tam, Alex Tang, William Lee, Yang Shi Pei, Thomas Cheng, Hoey Yip, Caitlin Xie, Cai Jing Hua, Huang Zhan Ling, Leo Zhou, Xian Huansheng, Karen Lam
M & E Consultant: Hua Yi Design Consultants Ltd.
Structural Engineer: Hua Yi Design Consultants Ltd.
Main Contractor: China Construction Second Engineering Bureau Ltd.

© Arch-Exist 存在建筑

From the architect: The Museum anchors Art Town—a group of recently built spaces for the arts—linking the cluster of studios, galleries, art schools, and exhibition spaces into a unified cultural district.

© Arch-Exist 存在建筑

By introducing a vibrant mix of uses and fostering community, the Museum and Art Town generate the rich sense of place that typically arises as neighborhoods develop over time. Together, they define the district—which had no history or sense of identity—as a major destination for the arts.

© Arch-Exist 存在建筑

To create a core for the previously disjointed area, the design introduces a network of public gathering places and walkways that organize the surroundings into a cohesive neighborhood centered on the Museum. Lifting the galleries off the ground and suspending them in a floating volume, the design opens up a public plaza that spans the site's length. Punctuated by sunken courtyards connected to the Museum's basement, the plaza creates a new neighborhood center that links Art Town Main Street with the rest of the district and offers a lively gathering place.

© Arch-Exist 存在建筑

The design of the Museum building creates an iconic presence and visual focal point in the area while emphasizing a sense of openness. The facade is articulated by a series of folds, peeling away from the structure as it nears the ground to reveal the public plaza and creating moments of transparency that afford glimpses of the art inside. The facades fold away from the corner of the building, opening an entrance that ushers visitors towards the grand stairway up to the galleries.

© Arch-Exist 存在建筑

Inside, the Museum is split into two wings—one displaying Chinese art, the other exhibitions of contemporary design—that interlock around a central staircase. Ascending through the Museum, the folding facades open up views over Art Town, enhancing the sense of connection between the Museum and the surrounding district.

© Arch-Exist 存在建筑

© Arch-Exist 存在建筑

© Arch-Exist 存在建筑

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Chinese University of Hong Kong campus by Rocco Design Architects

© Rocco Design Architects Associates

© Arch-Exist 存在建筑

© Arch-Exist 存在建筑

© Arch-Exist 存在建筑

© Rocco Design Architects Associates

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Chu Hai College Campus by Rocco Design Architects Associates Ltd.

© Arch-Exist 存在建筑

© Rocco Design Architects Associates

© Rocco Design Architects Associates

© Rocco Design Architects Associates

© Arch-Exist 存在建筑

© Arch-Exist 存在建筑

© Arch-Exist 存在建筑

© Arch-Exist 存在建筑

© Arch-Exist 存在建筑