MAD architects: china wood sculpture museum

‘china wood sculpture museum’ by MAD architects in harbin, china all images courtesy MAD architects

internationally renowned firm MAD architects has sent us images of ‘china wood sculpture museum’, a new facility dedicated to the arts in harbin, china. located in one of the most rapidly expanding creative regional hub in northern china, the project is one of three cultural buildings the beijing-based firm was commissioned to design in 2009.

street view

influenced by the local winter landscapes, the design aims to expand on the contrasting qualities between nature and the speed of daily life. the 200 meter-long museum negotiates the site’s conditions while exploring the relationship between the building and the environment, resulting in a dynamic form that resembles a frozen fluid.

approach

in line with the continuous nature of the exterior, the museum’s circulation flows uninterrupted between two exhibition spaces. connected by a central entrance, curved wall forms open up to the skylights above, filling the voids adjacent to the galleries with natural daylight. pockets and openings between levels provide visual transparency, connecting the energy of the building’s activities together. 

atrium

interior levels

circulation space

overall view

physical model

entrance

detail

construction shot

exploded axo

site plan

cross section

cross section

cross section

sectional models