The other two elements of the complex, the building and pergola, repeat the same language of flat roofs in organic forms, like lotuses moved by the waves. The pergola that takes the form of a very thin canopy that seems to flow like a river is reminiscent of the proposal designed by SANAA for the 2009 Seperntine pavilion, winding through the Hyde Park trees.
Construction detail. Jining Museum by Nishizawa Ryue. Image courtesy of Office of Ryue Nishizawa.
Jining Museum by Nishizawa Ryue. Photography by Paulo dos Sousa.
Project description by Ryue Nishizawa
This project was to design a museum with a park and café in Jining City, Shandong Province, China. It was completed in May 2019. The site is in part of a large development area about twenty minutes by car from the city. This is an extensive development project that will become a new cultural centre of Jining City. The plan includes four cultural facilities including a library, three different types of museums, commercial facilities, an office, and a park. This new art museum was planned inside the park. The site itself is surrounded by nature with a large lake adjacent to the property, as well as greenery and some waterfront space inside the lot.
We wanted the museum to blend into nature so the main architectural design was to incorporate an organic curve shape to the big roof. The big roof height gradually changes from 4 to 13 meters so that it naturally continues from the organic landscape of the park. The structure itself is made of steel frames. Approximately half of the space underneath this roof is used as park space and the rest of the space functions as museum space. Large and small exhibition rooms and various other rooms are arranged independently in the museum space, surrounded by glass corridors to form courtyards.
The corridors are not only connecting to each exhibition space but also become multi- function spaces as they change their width for particular spaces such as cafés, lounges and book shops. The park-side space is covered by the eaves on the outer periphery of the big roof, which is a semi-outdoor space that can also be used as part of the museum, but it can also be approached directly from the park side and used independently. We hoped the roof to act as a sunshade for people during hot summer days in Jining. A sense of transparency and brightness is created by the courtyards, and at the same time, shady and dark spaces exist that are made by a big roof and a solid volume of bricks. We aimed for this architecture to become part of the park and harmonizing with the surrounding landscape.
In this project, we used local bricks to create a sense of contrast against the light and transparent feelings of the steel frames. These bricks were fired in traditional kilns and were made with time-honoured materials and recipes. Bricks are an attractive material for us to directly feel and appreciate China’s history and the earth’s strength. We hope this architecture would not only be modern and transparent but also possess a sense of connection to the tradition and history of China.
