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
| Mar 29, 2013
PBS broadcast to highlight '10 Buildings That Changed America'
WTTW Chicago, in partnership with the Society of Architectural Historians, has produced "10 Builidngs That Changed America," a TV show set to air May 12 on PBS.
| Mar 27, 2013
Small but mighty: Berkeley public library’s net-zero gem
The Building Team for Berkeley, Calif.’s new 9,500-sf West Branch library aims to achieve net-zero—and possibly net-positive—energy performance with the help of clever passive design techniques.
| Mar 22, 2013
8 cool cultural projects in the works
A soaring opera center in Hong Kong and a multi-tower music center in Calgary are among the latest cultural projects.
| Mar 15, 2013
7 most endangered buildings in Chicago
The Chicago Preservation Society released its annual list of the buildings at high risk for demolition.
| Feb 25, 2013
10 U.S. cities with the best urban forests
Charlotte, Denver, and Milwaukee are among 10 U.S. cities ranked recently by the conservation organization American Forests for having quality urban forest programs.
| Feb 22, 2013
Detroit project would bring 'fairytale forest' to riverfront
A proposal by atelierWHY to create a heavily wooded park on the downtown riverfront has taken first place in the juried Detroit By Design competition.
| Feb 19, 2013
'Pop-up' proposal would create movable cultural venue for NYC
The Culture Shed, a proposed 170,000-sf project for New York City's Hudson Yards development, could be the ultimate in "pop-up" facilities.
| Feb 14, 2013
Brasfield & Gorrie breaks ground on New College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta
General contractor Brasfield & Gorrie is scheduled to kick off construction on the new College Football Hall of Fame in downtown Atlanta. With an anticipated completion date of fall 2014, the $66.5 million project will continue the revitalization of the city’s tourist district.
| Feb 8, 2013
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum’s new wing voted Boston’s 'most beautiful new building'
Bostonians voted the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum's new wing the People's Choice Award winner for 2012, honoring the project as the city's "most beautiful new building" for the calendar year. The new wing, designed by Renzo Piano and Stantec, beat out three other projects on the short list.
| Feb 6, 2013
George W. Bush Presidential Center among award-winning roofing projects honored by Sika Sarnafil
Winners of the 2012 Contractor Project of the Year Competition were announced this week by Sika Sarnafil. The annual competition highlights excellence in roofing installation. Roofing contractors are judged based on project complexity, design uniqueness, craftsmanship, and creative problem solving.
