studio zhu pei renovates art museum in beijing using dramatic concrete expressions

the old red brick texture of 798CUBE art museum's existing building are extended via a series of concrete cubes.

lea zeitoun March 30, 2023 4 min

studio zhu pei completes 798CUBE Art Museum in beijing

798CUBE Art Museum is a renovation project led by Studio Zhu Pei inside the 798 art district, adjacent to the Pace Art Museum and Minsheng Museum of Modern Art in Beijing, both designed by the practice in 2009 and 2016 respectively. Pairing new concrete forms with old brick structures, the idea of the art museum begins with a sensitive and in-depth observation of the surroundings in a specific area, where a big chunk of old industrial plants were retained. ‘On this basis, new buildings are injected, so as to create the tension between the new and old buildings, and complement each other with surrounding industrial buildings, such as Pace Art Museum,’ comments the practice.

studio zhu pei renovates art museum in beijing using dramatic concrete expressions - 1 — main entrance | image © Zhu Runzi

uplifting & retracing the character of the museum context

The design 798CUBE Art Museum by Studio Zhu Pei (see more here) traces the red brick texture of the original industrial heritage building, adopting a series of concrete cubes to shape the order of orthogonal geometric shapes, and reflects the construction and planning logic of the 798 art district. Moreover, the original square surrounded on three sides by industrial plants is transformed into a relatively closed central courtyard with the help of an independent cast-in-situ concrete wall.

studio zhu pei renovates art museum in beijing using dramatic concrete expressions - 2 — view from the main entrance | image © Zhu Runzi

Meanwhile, a huge steel beam sliding crane spans the concrete walls from north to south. Primarily designed to hang art installations, these inverted arch canvases also serve as protective covers from the weather. ‘According to the weather and sun angle, these inverted arch canvases can be opened and closed at will for shading and rain protection. It is a place where people gather, a venue for the opening ceremony and an outdoor exhibition,’ explains the studio.

studio zhu pei renovates art museum in beijing using dramatic concrete expressions - 3 — concrete wall details | image © Zhu Runzi

Inside, the design concept explores columnlessness, horizontally extended structural forms, and tectonic expressiveness. More specifically, Studio Zhu Pei built two new exhibition halls, each displaying that columnless, long-span, cast-in-situ concrete aesthetic with a few variations. The first one unfolds as an arched curved beam, diffused from the adjacent two arches with the natural sky light. The second hall, meanwhile, reveals a concrete multi ribbed beam to convey the characteristics of the material itself.