New Art Museum, Jiangsu

Exterior view of the New Art Museum with the Culture Block to the north end and the Revolution Block to its south.

Project Details

• Project Name: The New Art Museum, Jiangsu
• Client: Director Department of New Nanjing Library Project
• Project Type: Architectural design
• Principal Designer: KSP Engel und Zimmermann Architects
• Date of commencement of project: November 2006
• Date of completion of project (estimated): December 2008
• Location of site: Province Jiangsu, Nanjing, China

View of the canyon formed between the two blocks.

The Building

The new Art Museum in Nanjing, China lies sandwiched between the city's main cultural axis -- the Changjiang Road to the south and the 'Revolution road' - the Zhongshan East Road to its north.

The two roads are at slight angles to each other, such that a trapezoidal plot of land emerges. In the northwest the City Plaza extends as far as the Art Museum and affords a view of the former palace of Dr. Sun.

Aerial view of the site amidst its context.

The Museum is designed in response to its surroundings that hold high historical value.

An edifice in the south -- the Revolution Cube -- adopts the direction of Zhongshan East Road, while the Culture Cube in the north follows the course of Changjiang Road.

The space in between the two u-shaped interlaced structures at angles to each other takes the form of a canyon-like access area.

The main entrance is located in the northwest and faces the City Plaza. A second entrance in the south delineates the other end of the canyon.

On the top storey the quality of the office space, meeting rooms and classrooms is enhanced by roof terraces, which offer a view of the activities in the canyon.

Credits

• Text: Courtesy of the architect
• Computer rendered images: Courtesy of the architect
• Compiled and edited by Varun Ajani