Shanghai is currently looking for the architecture firm that will design the new Art Museum of Pudong on a prominent site at the tip of Pudong’s Lujiazui CBD area. As ArchDaily reports, the structure will be a rare addition to the symbolic image of modern Shanghai’s skyline.
The city orchestrated an international design competition to try and find the firm it felt was best equipped to design the building. After the first of two rounds, OPEN, SANNA, Ateliers Jean Nouvel, and David Chipperfield Architects were the four remaining firms vying for the museum.
At the time of writing this article, only OPEN’s design entry has been revealed. For its design, the firm created a concept that uses natural landscapes to connect the existing isolated parklands, cultural facilities, and riverbanks to create a large, cohesive looped park system. The parklands, and not just the museum itself, will become its own cultural destination.
The building is still the main attraction, however, and is designed to have a more minimalist, horizontal aesthetic. The upper portion of the building is the “Floating Gallery of Art” and contains a gallery core in its center that is surrounded by more open gallery exhibition spaces. Flexible and adaptable, the space is meant to accommodate a large variety of curatorial requirements. Along the visitor’s route, specifically placed openings in the external façade create a unique blend of art with the urban experience.
The firm describes the ground floor of the building as the “Community Forum of Art.” Located on this floor is a Performance and Installation Gallery, the “People’s Gallery,” an art shop, an auditorium, a library, and workshop spaces. Each of these areas is connected via urban street-like laneways.
Between these two floors is the most unique aspect off the design; an open space that is part urban living room and part outdoor exhibition plaza. This open space is meant to combine the city, art, nature, and people.
You can watch a video detailing OPEN’s entry below.
Rendering courtesy of OPEN via ArchDaily
Rendering courtesy of OPEN via ArchDaily
Rendering courtesy of OPEN via ArchDaily
Rendering courtesy of OPEN via ArchDaily
Related Stories
Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2023
Top 175 Architecture Firms for 2023
Gensler, HKS, Perkins&Will, Corgan, and Perkins Eastman top the rankings of the nation's largest architecture firms for nonresidential building and multifamily housing work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.
Performing Arts Centers | Jul 18, 2023
Perelman Performing Arts Center will soon open at Ground Zero
In September, New York City will open a new performing arts center in Lower Manhattan, two decades after the master plan for Ground Zero called for a cultural component there. At a cost of $500 million, including $130 million donated by former mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, the Perelman Performing Arts Center (dubbed PAC NYC) is a 138-foot-tall cube-shaped building that glows at night.
Standards | Jun 26, 2023
New Wi-Fi standard boosts indoor navigation, tracking accuracy in buildings
The recently released Wi-Fi standard, IEEE 802.11az enables more refined and accurate indoor location capabilities. As technology manufacturers incorporate the new standard in various devices, it will enable buildings, including malls, arenas, and stadiums, to provide new wayfinding and tracking features.
Engineers | Jun 14, 2023
The high cost of low maintenance
Walter P Moore’s Javier Balma, PhD, PE, SE, and Webb Wright, PE, identify the primary causes of engineering failures, define proactive versus reactive maintenance, recognize the reasons for deferred maintenance, and identify the financial and safety risks related to deferred maintenance.
Museums | Jun 6, 2023
New wing of Natural History Museums of Los Angeles to be a destination and portal
NHM Commons, a new wing and community hub under construction at The Natural History Museums (NHM) of Los Angeles County, was designed to be both a destination and a portal into the building and to the surrounding grounds.
Performing Arts Centers | Jun 6, 2023
Mumbai, India’s new Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre has three performing arts venues
In Mumbai, India, the recently completed Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) will showcase music, theater, and fine arts from India and from across the globe. Atlanta’s TVS Design served as the principal architect and interior designer of both the cultural center and the larger, adjacent Jio World Centre.
Architects | Jun 6, 2023
Taking storytelling to a new level in building design, with Gensler's Bob Weis and Andy Cohen
Bob Weis, formerly the head of Disney Imagineering, was recently hired by Gensler as its Global Immersive Experience Design Leader. He joins the firm's co-CEO Andy Cohen to discuss how Gensler will focus on storytelling to connect people to its projects.
Green | Apr 21, 2023
Top 10 green building projects for 2023
The Harvard University Science and Engineering Complex in Boston and the Westwood Hills Nature Center in St. Louis are among the AIA COTE Top Ten Awards honorees for 2023.
Urban Planning | Apr 12, 2023
Watch: Trends in urban design for 2023, with James Corner Field Operations
Isabel Castilla, a Principal Designer with the landscape architecture firm James Corner Field Operations, discusses recent changes in clients' priorities about urban design, with a focus on her firm's recent projects.
Architects | Apr 6, 2023
Design for belonging: An introduction to inclusive design
The foundation of modern, formalized inclusive design can be traced back to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990. The movement has developed beyond the simple rules outlined by ADA regulations resulting in features like mothers’ rooms, prayer rooms, and inclusive restrooms.