iADC design museum by rocco anchors a new shenzhen neighborhood

rocco design architects has completed the ‘iADC design museum’, a cultural hub and landmark for a new neighborhood of shenzhen, china. situated in the city’s bao’an district, the institution forms part of a larger project that was built on a previously undeveloped plot of land. the museum anchors ‘art town’ — a group of recently built spaces for the arts — linking the cluster of studios, galleries, schools, and exhibition spaces into a unified cultural district.

all images by henry he, unless otherwise stated

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. ‘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,’ explains rocco design architects. ‘together, they define the district — which had no history or sense of identity — as a major destination for the arts.’

by 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’s main street with the rest of the district — resulting in a place of gathering. the façade is articulated by a series of folds, peeling away from the structure as it nears the ground to reveal the public plaza. the design also creates moments of transparency that afford glimpses of the art inside.

the elevations fold away from the corner of the building, opening an entrance that ushers visitors towards the grand stairway and up to the galleries. 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 façades open up views over the site, enhancing the sense of connection between the museum and the surrounding district.

image by rocco design architects

diagram courtesy of rocco design architects

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project info:

name: iADC design museum
location: shapu, bao’an district, shenzhen, china
design year: 2014
completion year: 2019
GFA: 12,900 sqm
site area: 18,000 sqm

architect: rocco design architects
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
client / developer: shenzhen manjinghua investment group
M&E consultant: hua yi design consultants ltd.
structural engineer: hua yi design consultants ltd.
main contractor: china construction second engineering bureau ltd.