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.
-
Guest editor Laila Gohar: ‘Your nicest porcelain should be used whenever you can – every day is an occasion’For the October 2024 issue of Wallpaper*, chef and artist Laila Gohar takes the reins as one of three guest editors, choosing to examine the social cohesion that is provided by the meals we eat – and the places that administer them – as a means of explaining her own drive to share and entertain
-
Tour the new Four Seasons Osaka, where time stands stillSet within a 49-storey tower, Four Seasons Osaka takes the traditional ryokan experience to new heights
-
How guest editor Marcio Kogan, during a visit to the movies, ‘discovered that something else exists in the world, real poetry’Marcio Kogan is a guest editor of Wallpaper* October 2024. In his dedicated section, we discover how the world of cinema’s loss was architecture’s gain when a feature film failed but a dream space creator rose from the ashes
-
Tsing-Tien Making's approach is rooted in its 'passion' for architectureTsing-Tien Making, a young Chinese practice, joins the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2024
-
Fotografiska Shanghai invites us to 'a poetic immersion' into the realm of photographyFotografiska Shanghai by AIM Architecture opens nestled into a green corner of the Chinese city's Suzhou Creek
-
A Chinese community hall brings contemporary minimalism to its historical siteA new Chinese community hall in Wanghu Village, designed by UAD, effortlessly blends old and new in minimalist architecture
-
Gong House is a contemporary Chinese home drawing on its spectacular countryside contextGong House by Shenzhen-based Various Associates is a modern family home nestled in the Chinese countryside
-
The ZGC International Innovation Center in Beijing is a futuristic addition to China's own 'Silicon Valley'The ZGC International Innovation Center by MAD Architects completes, revealing a new hub for technology and modern ideas that co-exists with its surroundings
-
Emerald Screen Pergola brings wonder and intrigue to an everyday setting in ChinaDesigned by Wutopia Lab, Emerald Screen Pergola is a pavilion designed to inject ‘magical realism’ into the everyday, nodding to ancient Chinese practices
-
Beijing City Library is an otherworldly escape from the digital worldBeijing City Library by Snøhetta is a flowing, welcoming space to share knowledge and socialise
-
Chinese scholar Zhang Taiyan’s house opens as a museum and bookshop in Suzhou20th-century Chinese scholar Zhang Taiyan’s house in Suzhou has opened to the public as a museum, featuring a bookshop designed by Tsing-Tien Making
