A recently completed museum project in southern China from the Shenzhen-based firm Atelier Apeiron on the artificial Hengqin Island in Zhuhai is worth sharing after a six-year design and construction phase.
The new Hengqin Culture & Art Complex is an over 1.5 million-square-foot design that serves as a cultural repository for roughly 86 million people living in the combined Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay region. It is the anchor of the multi-billion dollar Hengqin New Area, which covers approximately 41 square miles.
“This project is a milestone for our firm, and it opens new avenues for us to design innovative architecture in the future, based on more multi-dimensional thinking,” founder Yunchao Xu shares. “It has motivated us to expand the definition of architecture, and to push the boundaries of traditional design.”
There are a total of nine building blocks spread throughout the complex, which is being opened to the public gradually over the span of a year. The choice of a catenary curve defines the museum building, establishing a new landmark on the city’s skyline. The architecture itself comprises references to forms found in nature, including a cave and cliffs. Materials used incorporate resilient design principles to protect against heavy winds and flood damage.
This is added to by a stacked, four-story assembly of rooftop platforms with living green balconies overlapping its structure. In designing the gardens, the firm conducted multiple studies to ensure optimal sightlines from each of the platforms.
The base platform at the 78-foot level has a stage and auditorium positioned to help organize large-scale events and activities. Another platform provides a shared garden, with the addition of staff canteens and cafeterias located above it at the 98-foot level.
Finally, at its 118-foot zenith, a rain garden platform serves as an environmental zone and “ecological laboratory.” A spiral connects from there to a bamboo garden, where serenity and quiet moments can be enjoyed adjacent to the Sky Bookstore. A basement is designed to serve as a sealed support space with anchor points to ensure maximum strength throughout the structure.
The notion of an open urban fabric that uses porosity to stitch the design further into the city is prioritized in the plan, adapting it to its high-density surroundings.
A series of arches frame the three main experiences: a Knowledge Hall, Performance Hall, and Exhibition Hall. The program includes a library, a small archives center, a concert hall, a cultural center, an art gallery, a science museum, and multiple activities centers.
“The modular design of the complex ensures that each of the nine pavilions has its own distinct spaces, and the three large halls follow that same rationale,” Yunchao Xu says further. “Our vision is for the Hengqin Culture & Art Complex to be a vibrant, three-dimensional vertical city that will host millions of tourists each year, as well as a growing community of local residents, while seamlessly connecting with its surrounding environment.”