atelier FCJZ: museum bridge in anren

‘museum-bridge in anren’ by atelier FCJZ, anren, sichuan, china image © cao, yang all images courtesy of atelier FCJZ

recently completed by beijing-based atelier FCJZ, the ‘1966-1976 major events pavilion’, nicknamed the ‘museum-bridge in anren’ traverses a river and doubles as a pedestrian bridge in sichuan, china. containing artifacts from the great cultural revolution period when the soviet style of socialist realism influenced traditional chinese architecture. a place to reflect upon this time period, the exterior manifests as a stripped down interpretation of the historical styles displayed inside offering a continuity of time. a large cantilevered roof caps a simple volume which does not ground itself with typical foundations.

north-east view image © cao, yang

clusters of slanted columns elevate the ground level to allow the stream to pass uninterrupted beneath the center, emerging as a symmetrical network of tree-columns. made from concrete, the rough textured appearance breaks down any classical references and is the result of a construction process with a team of unskilled and local labor force. visible immediately, the aged aesthetic injects  a ‘brutalist’ character. a hybrid between an inhabitable building, infrastructure and urban streetscape, the structure creates covered  stopping points for pedestrians, as well as the main entry into the museum.

south-east view image © cao, yang

four skylights spanning the roof illuminate the interior exhibit spaces. the underbelly along the riverbanks also serves as an outdoor area for display, tea and performances. a roof terrace is used for sculpture installations.

stair to roof-terrace on east side image © cao, yang

stairway image © cao, yang

image © cao, yang

image © cao, yang

entry on west end image © cao, yang

image © cao, yang

covered bridge image © cao, yang

roof terrace image © cao, yang

structural columns beneath bridge image © cao, yang

plaza for displays image © cao, yang

river runs beneath museum image © cao, yang

column detail image © cao, yang

plaza and river image © cao, yang

landscape surrounding the bridge image © cao, yang

image © cao, yang

museum interior image © cao, yang

light and shadow image © cao, yang

project info:

project name: 1966-1976 museum in anren location: anren township, dayi county, chengdu city, sichuan province, china client: sichuan anren jianchuan cultural industry development co. ltd. architect: atelier feichang jianzhu principles: yung ho chang project architect: liu lubin project team: wu xia, guo qingmin, liang xiaoning, feng bo building area: 2114 sq. meters building stories: 1 design period: 2009-2010 construction period: 2010-2012