A new hill near the lake. Qintai Art Museum by Atelier Deshaus
02/07/2022.
[Wuhan] China
metalocus, CARLOS GONZÁLEZ
metalocus, CARLOS GONZÁLEZ
Located along the shores of the Moon Lake in Wuhan, China, the Qintai Art Museum was commissioned from Atelier Deshaus.
The proposal by Atelier Deshaus was designed as a new landscape or continuation of the landscape to minimize the presence of the museum near the natural surface of the lake, and take the shape of a natural hill, sitting part of the exhibition spaces underground.
However, on the road-facing side away from the lake, the museum is expressed with a vertical facade, continuing the fabric of the urban context.
The proposal by Atelier Deshaus was designed as a new landscape or continuation of the landscape to minimize the presence of the museum near the natural surface of the lake, and take the shape of a natural hill, sitting part of the exhibition spaces underground.
However, on the road-facing side away from the lake, the museum is expressed with a vertical facade, continuing the fabric of the urban context.
Qintai Art Museum by Atelier Deshaus. Photograph by Fangfang Tian
Qintai Art Museum by Atelier Deshaus. Photograph by Fangfang Tian
Qintai Art Museum by Atelier Deshaus. Photograph by Fangfang Tian
Qintai Art Museum by Atelier Deshaus. Photograph by Fangfang Tian
Qintai Art Museum by Atelier Deshaus. Photograph by Fangfang Tian
Qintai Art Museum by Atelier Deshaus. Photograph by Fangfang Tian
Qintai Art Museum by Atelier Deshaus. Photograph by Fangfang Tian
Qintai Art Museum by Atelier Deshaus. Photograph by Fangfang Tian
Qintai Art Museum by Atelier Deshaus. Photograph by Fangfang Tian
Qintai Art Museum by Atelier Deshaus. Photograph by Fangfang Tian
Qintai Art Museum by Atelier Deshaus. Photograph by Fangfang Tian
Qintai Art Museum by Atelier Deshaus. Photograph by Fangfang Tian
Qintai Art Museum by Atelier Deshaus. Photograph by Fangfang Tian
Qintai Art Museum by Atelier Deshaus. Photograph by Fangfang Tian
Qintai Art Museum by Atelier Deshaus. Photograph by Fangfang Tian
Qintai Art Museum by Atelier Deshaus. Photograph by Fangfang Tian
Qintai Art Museum by Atelier Deshaus. Photograph by Fangfang Tian
Site plan. Qintai Art Museum by Atelier Deshaus.
Ground floor plan. Qintai Art Museum by Atelier Deshaus.
First floor plan. Qintai Art Museum by Atelier Deshaus.
Second floor plan. Qintai Art Museum by Atelier Deshaus.i Art Museum by Atelier Deshaus.
Third floor plan. Qintai Art Museum by Atelier Deshaus.i Art Museum by Atelier Deshaus.
Basement floor plan. Qintai Art Museum by Atelier Deshaus.
Section. Qintai Art Museum by Atelier Deshaus.
Section. Qintai Art Museum by Atelier Deshaus.
Section. Qintai Art Museum by Atelier Deshaus.
Section. Qintai Art Museum by Atelier Deshaus.
Elevation. Qintai Art Museum by Atelier Deshaus.
Elevation. Qintai Art Museum by Atelier Deshaus.
Elevation. Qintai Art Museum by Atelier Deshaus.
Elevation. Qintai Art Museum by Atelier Deshaus.
Axonometry. Qintai Art Museum by Atelier Deshaus.
Model. Qintai Art Museum by Atelier Deshaus.
Qintai Art Museum by Atelier Deshaus. Photograph by Shengliang Su.
Qintai Art Museum by Atelier Deshaus. Photograph by Shengliang Su.
Atelier Deshaus designed the undulating roof formed by an abstract stepped terrace following topographic contours, traversed by winding planked walking paths entirely open to the public, connecting to Moon Lake, as well as the exits of the museum exhibition spaces.
The main entrance to the museum, as well as the public programs including the Creative Cultural Spaces, are all placed on the west, with a plaza where there are ramped paths linking to the second-floor café and rooftop terrace, establishing a public circulation that could still operate after the museum closes.
The main hall, together with the undulating roofscape, creates a unique space for exhibition. The space of the exhibition uses floating exhibition walls, and there is no longer a set circulation for visiting the exhibition. The walls are both surfaces for exhibiting, as well as the structure for the undulating roof.
The main entrance to the museum, as well as the public programs including the Creative Cultural Spaces, are all placed on the west, with a plaza where there are ramped paths linking to the second-floor café and rooftop terrace, establishing a public circulation that could still operate after the museum closes.
The main hall, together with the undulating roofscape, creates a unique space for exhibition. The space of the exhibition uses floating exhibition walls, and there is no longer a set circulation for visiting the exhibition. The walls are both surfaces for exhibiting, as well as the structure for the undulating roof.
Qintai Art Museum by Atelier Deshaus. Photograph by Fangfang Tian
Qintai Art Museum by Atelier Deshaus. Photograph by Fangfang Tian.
Project description by Atelier Deshaus
Qintai Art Museum is located on the lakeside of Moon Lake in Wuhan’s Hanyang District, facing Meizi Hill across the lake to the south. In order to reduce the weight of the architectural mass on the natural surface of the lake, the form of an undulating natural terrain is used in the direction of the lake, while sinking part of the exhibition spaces underground. This both uses the underground space, and also minimizes the massing on the ground. On the side facing the city road, on the other hand, a vertical facade continues to uphold architecture’s urbanity.
The undulating roof is formed by an abstract stepped terrace following topographic contours. The risers of the steps are lined using silver metallic surfaces, while the treads are covered with white stones and low vegetation, traversed by winding planked walking paths.
These rooftop paths are entirely open to the public, connecting to Moon Lake, as well as the exits of the museum exhibition spaces, the space for public education, the art shop, the café, and the other public spaces. Thus, they form a public space framework independent from the exhibition spaces of the museum. The activities of the public are part of the architectural surface.
The art museum architecture as an intervention has redefined the urban space on the south bank of Moon Lake. To the west of the museum, the space is reserved for an urban plaza, interacting in the future with the Wuhan Library and Drama Centre under planning.
The main entrance to the museum, as well as the programs with strong public tenets including the Creative Cultural Spaces, are all placed on this side, where a subtly inwardly-curved façade together with the place creates a sense of enclosure. From the plaza there are ramped paths linking to the second-floor café and rooftop terrace, establishing a public circulation that could still operate after the museum closes. Operationally, this strengthens the openness of the museum and the urbanity of the architecture.
The main hall, together with the undulating roofscape, creates a unique space for exhibition. The space of the exhibition uses floating exhibition walls, and there is no longer a set circulation for visiting the exhibition. The walls are both surfaces for exhibiting, as well as the structure for the undulating roof.
The exhibition spaces for contemporary art, modern art, and classical art, as well as for special exhibitions, could be independently accessed, or sequentially linked, having great functional flexibility.
More information
Architects
Atelier Deshaus. Main architects.- Liu Yichun, Chen Yifeng.
Collaboration.- CITIC General Institute of Architectural Design and Research Co. Ltd.
Design team
Yichun Liu, Yu Chen, Longhai Wang, Chenchen Hu, Hao Chen, Wen Shen, Chihhan Chen, Yun Tang, Xiaoqi Zhang, Wenchao Wu, Rui Deng, Xin Liu, Zirui Pang, Jiawen Wang, Ye Cao.
Collaborators
Landscape Design.- Wuhan Institute of Landscape Architectural Design Co. Ltd.
Structural Consultant.- AND Office.
Floodlighting Design.- Huajian new era Wuhan Engineering Design Co. Ltd.
Interior Contractor.- Shenzhenwenye Decoration&Design Engineering Co.Ltd.
Lighting Design.- Shanghai Zen Lighting Co., Ltd.
Facade Design.- Shanghai CIMA Engineering Consulting Co. Ltd.
Signage Design.- Nanjing Hanqingtang Design Co. Ltd.
General Contractor.- China Construction Third Engineering Bureau Group Co.Ltd.
Structural Consultant.- AND Office.
Floodlighting Design.- Huajian new era Wuhan Engineering Design Co. Ltd.
Interior Contractor.- Shenzhenwenye Decoration&Design Engineering Co.Ltd.
Lighting Design.- Shanghai Zen Lighting Co., Ltd.
Facade Design.- Shanghai CIMA Engineering Consulting Co. Ltd.
Signage Design.- Nanjing Hanqingtang Design Co. Ltd.
General Contractor.- China Construction Third Engineering Bureau Group Co.Ltd.
Client
Wuhan Real Estate Construction & Investment (Group) Co., Ltd.
Area
43,080 m².
Dates
2022.
Location
Wuhan, China.
Photography
Fangfang Tian, Shengliang Su.
LIU YICHUN-CHEN YIFENG ATELIER DESHAUS
Atelier Deshaus was founded in Shanghai in 2001. The principal, Liu Yichun was born in 1969, obtained Master Degree from Tongji University, Department of Architecture in 1997. The principal, Chen Yifeng was born in 1972, obtained Master Degree from Tongji University, Department of Architecture in 1998.
While winning the architecture awards such as Business Weeks/Architectural Record China Awards (2006), WA Chinese Architecture Awards (2006&2010), FAR EAST Architecture Awards (2010), Deshaus has been involved recently in major international exhibitions on contemporary Chinese Architecture in Shanghai, Paris, Dusseldorf, Bordeaux, Beijing, Shenzhen, Rotterdam, London, Cincinnati, Brussels, Barcelona, Cadiz, Venice, Prague, Hong Kong, Tokyo, etc. In 2011, Atelier Deshaus was selected by Architectural Record to be one of the 10 firms in year’s Design Vanguard.
Deshaus believes that pragmatic solutions related to contemporary architecture in China requires a rational approach that is linked to a personal touch. The rational and personalized attempt is closely related to its reproduction of the poetical tradition. Deshaus begins by contemplating on who they are and where they are, and sharply observes what is missing in the history of Chinese modern architecture and searches for the new understanding of reason (Li) which does not cut off its relationship with the traditional philos of poetics and ethics (Qing). Such an ambition requires the engagement in memory through art from a cross-culture perspective, the fusion of Li and Qing.
