Nanjing Sifang Art Museum by Steven Holl Architects
Steven Holl Architects have completed the Nanjing Sifang Art Museum in Nanjing, China.
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Nanjing Sifang Art Museum by Steven Holl Architects
Perspective is the fundamental historic difference between Western and Chinese painting. After the 13th Century, Western painting developed vanishing points in fixed perspective. Chinese painters, although aware of perspective, rejected the single-vanishing point method, instead producing landscapes with “parallel perspectives” in which the viewer travels within the painting.
The new museum is sited at the gateway to the Contemporary International Practical Exhibition of Architecture in the lush green landscape of the Pearl Spring near Nanjing, China. The museum explores the shifting viewpoints, layers of space, and expanses of mist and water, which characterize the deep alternating spatial mysteries of early Chinese painting. The museum is formed by a “field” of parallel perspective spaces and garden walls in black bamboo-formed concrete over which a light “figure” hovers. The straight passages on the ground level gradually turn into the winding passage of the figure above. The upper gallery, suspended high in the air, unwraps in a clockwise turning sequence and culminates at “in-position” viewing of the city of Nanjing in the distance. The meaning of this rural site becomes urban through this visual axis to the great Ming Dynasty capital city, Nanjing.
The courtyard is paved in recycled Old Hutong bricks from the destroyed courtyards in the center of Nanjing. Limiting the colors of the museum to black and white connects it to the ancient paintings, but also gives a background to feature the colors and textures of the artwork and architecture to be exhibited within. Bamboo, previously growing on the site, has been used in bamboo- formed concrete, with a black penetrating stain. The Museum has geothermal cooling and heating, and recycled storm water.
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Visit the website of Steven Holl Architects – here.
Photography by Li Hu and Shu He
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andrew on 10 May 2011 at 10:12 am #
this cyclop/ eye/ cantilever thing is getting overrated…i’ve seen it too many times
ariana roberts on 10 May 2011 at 11:18 am #
i could live and die here
ariana roberts on 10 May 2011 at 11:19 am #
even though it’s a museum-the place could be an exhibit itself!
Amacias on 10 May 2011 at 7:42 pm #
What’s with the stairs?
Michael G on 10 May 2011 at 10:55 pm #
A few visits to this place will shape your artistic eye AND your body. Interesting sculptural building nonetheless.
Chris Carlton on 11 May 2011 at 10:52 am #
Going up that stair would be the first thing I’d do if I was a visitor. Talk about a sense of exposure!
Antonio on 12 May 2011 at 5:31 pm #
Fail. An architectural work must live in a landscape, it has to be it self, not some white point in a black portrait
Great on 13 May 2011 at 12:08 pm #
Not an outstanding structure. And the quality fo the finish is not good.
steve on 18 May 2011 at 1:58 am #
I agree with Antonio, the landscape is pretty as it is this is just ruining the view. its interesting building but why waste this nice area.