Qujiang Museum of Fine Arts extension by Neri & Hu draws on urban monuments
The Qujiang Museum of Fine Arts extension by Neri & Hu brings together culture and retail in a sculptural terracotta-coloured structure

Dubbed by its creators 'The Urban Monument', the Qujiang Museum of Fine Arts extension by Neri & Hu has been completed. Partners Rosanna Hu and Lyndon Neri are behind the dramatic terracotta-coloured structure that has risen next to the Xi’an cultural landmark, bringing together museum spaces and refined retail in the Shanghai-based studio's distinctive, tactile minimalist architecture.
Qujiang Museum of Fine Arts extension by Neri & Hu
The architects drew on the idea of monolithic monument for their design. This allowed them to 'not only satisfy the museum’s newly expanded cultural and commercial functions, but to also serve as an anchor and a durable symbol of social history', they explained. The building programme is divided into four sections: a partially sunken base, the 'Sculptural Walk' circulation enclosure, an elevated podium platform, and the 'Monument', which is the culmination of the experience at the top.
The Qujiang Museum of Fine Arts extension's distinct colour comes from its cladding with eye-catching red travertine stone. Meanwhile, its dominant round shape informs the sculpting of its spaces both inside and out – for example, a circular amphitheatre sits on its roof, while a generous round skylight opening at its heart brings the sun into the corresponding ground floor patio area below. The delicate stone textures sit on top of a solid, concrete base.
The top-placed 'Monument' contains a series of publicly accessible areas – an outdoor terrace, the amphitheatre, and further dining and entertainment programmes. 'This space acts as a forum which is open to the public as a venue for various activities, while also serving as a platform for private performances and catwalks,' said the architects.
Beyond its functionality and series of new urban spaces for the Xi'an residents and the city's visitors to enjoy, the Qujiang Museum of Fine Arts extension represents a masterful balance between lightness and solidity, tactility and ethereality, circles and squares. Neri & Hu has crafted a building that adds drama as well as necessary programmes to its locale, making the most of its prominent position and its architect-and-client team's vision.
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
A European-style café opens next to London’s Saatchi Gallery
Designed by Dion & Arles, Cafe Linea serves fresh pâtisseries, global dishes and sparkling wines in a stunning Grade II-listed setting
-
Home is where Beethoven Market is – a joyful Italian restaurant in LA’s Mar Vista
In Mar Vista, a historic space is reborn as a modern-day gathering spot, an Italian-infused restaurant where rotisserie chicken, handmade pasta and tableside tiramisu welcome you like family
-
This Canadian house is a precise domestic composition perched on the Nova Scotian coast
Bishop McDowell completed a new Canadian house overlooking the Atlantic, using minimal details and traditional forms to create a refined family home
-
Zaha Hadid Architects’ spaceship-like Shenzhen Science and Technology Museum is now open
Last week, ZHA announced the opening of its latest project: a museum in Shenzhen, China, dedicated to the power of technological advancements. It was only fitting, therefore, that the building design should embrace innovation
-
A Xingfa cement factory’s reimagining breathes new life into an abandoned industrial site
We tour the Xingfa cement factory in China, where a redesign by landscape architecture firm SWA completely transforms an old industrial site into a lush park
-
Bold, geometric minimalism rules at Toteme’s new store by Herzog & de Meuron in China
Toteme launches a bold, monochromatic new store in Beijing – the brand’s first in China – created by Swiss architecture masters Herzog & de Meuron
-
The upcoming Zaha Hadid Architects projects set to transform the horizon
A peek at Zaha Hadid Architects’ future projects, which will comprise some of the most innovative and intriguing structures in the world
-
Liu Jiakun wins 2025 Pritzker Architecture Prize: explore the Chinese architect's work
Liu Jiakun, 2025 Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate, is celebrated for his 'deep coherence', quality and transcendent architecture
-
Zaha Hadid Architects reveals plans for a futuristic project in Shaoxing, China
The cultural and arts centre looks breathtakingly modern, but takes cues from the ancient history of Shaoxing
-
The Hengqin Culture and Art Complex is China’s newest cultural megastructure
Atelier Apeiron’s Hengqin Culture and Art Complex strides across its waterside site on vast arches, bringing a host of facilities and public spaces to one of China’s most rapidly urbanising areas
-
The World Monuments Fund has announced its 2025 Watch – here are some of the endangered sites on the list
Every two years, the World Monuments Fund creates a list of 25 monuments of global significance deemed most in need of restoration. From a modernist icon in Angola to the cultural wreckage of Gaza, these are the heritage sites highlighted