Steven Holl to design four museums for new complex in China

News: New York architect Steven Holl has won a competition to design four museums in Qingdao, China, with a concept for a series of “art islands” linked by a looping route of galleries and pathways (+ movie).

Culture and Art Centre of Qingdao City by Steven Holl

The Culture and Art Centre of Qingdao will occupy an 18-hectare site to the north of Jiaozhou Bay, creating a complex of museums dedicated to classic art, modern art, public art and performing arts.

Culture and Art Centre of Qingdao City by Steven Holl

Steven Holl’s plan features a snaking tunnel structure designed to reference the form of the nearby Jiaozhou Bay Bridge – the world’s longest bridge over water. This “light loop” will connect the four museums, accommodating a trail of galleries inside.

Culture and Art Centre of Qingdao City by Steven Holl

“The project starts with a very unique connection to Qingdao and the idea of actually connecting to the morphology of the Jiaozhou Bay Bridge,” says Holl in a movie accompanying the competition entry. “It inspires the possibility of this whole project to become related to that linear idea.”

Culture and Art Centre of Qingdao City by Steven Holl

Three of the museums will comprise cube-shaped structures positioned at intervals along the route, while the fourth will be positioned around a public square at the centre of the complex.

Culture and Art Centre of Qingdao City by Steven Holl

The surrounding spaces will be filled with gardens, pools of water and an outdoor sculpture park.

Culture and Art Centre of Qingdao City by Steven Holl

“There’s a great porosity and a great fusion between the movement across the site and the movement in the gallery system above,” says the architect. “It will have breezes coming in from the ocean that cool the entire landscape.”

Culture and Art Centre of Qingdao City by Steven Holl

A mixture of sanded aluminium and stained concrete will be used to construct the new buildings.

Culture and Art Centre of Qingdao City by Steven Holl

Here are some extra details from Steven Holl Architects:


Steven Holl Architects Wins Invited Competition for the Culture and Art Centre of Qingdao City

Steven Holl Architects has been selected by near unanimous jury decision as the winner of the new Culture and Art Centre of Qingdao City competition, besting OMA and Zaha Hadid Architects. The 2 million sq ft project for four museums is the heart of the new extension of Qingdao, China, planned for a population of 700,000.

The winning design for the new Culture and Art Centre begins with a connection to Qingdao. The linear form of the Jiaozhou Bay Bridge – the world’s longest bridge over water – is carried into the large site, in the form of a Light Loop, which contains gallery spaces and connects all aspects of the landscape and public spaces. The raised Light Loop allows maximum porosity and movement across the site, and permits natural sound bound breezes that blow in off the ocean to flow across the site.

Culture and Art Centre of Qingdao City by Steven Holl
Bridge link concept

Set within the master plan are Art Islands, or Yishudao, which take the form of three sculpted cubes, and four small landscape art islands that form outdoor sculpture gardens. Five terraced reflecting pools animate the landscape and bring light to levels below via skylights.

The Light Loop and Yishudao concepts facilitate the shaping of public space. A great central square for large gatherings is at the centre of the site overlooking a large water garden. The Modern Art Museum shapes the central square. The Public Arts Museum forms the main experience of entry from the south. The North Yishudao contains the Classic Art Museum, with a hotel at its top levels, and the South Yishudao, which floats over the large south reflecting pool, holds the Performing Arts Program.

In the Light Loop, all horizontal galleries receive natural light from the roof that can be controlled with 20% screens as well as blackout options. The 20 metre wide section of the Light Loop allows side lighting to the lower level galleries, and provides space for two galleries side by side, avoiding dead-end circulation.

Culture and Art Centre of Qingdao City by Steven Holl
Site layout diagram

The basic architecture is in simple monochrome of sanded marine aluminium and stained concrete, with the undersides of the Light Loops in rich polychrome colours of ancient Chinese architecture. These soffits are washed with light at night to become landscape lighting in shimmering reflected colours.

The entire project uses the most sustainable green technologies. Placed between the skylights on the Light Loop, photovoltaic cells will provide 80% of the museum’s electrical needs. The reflecting ponds with recycle water, while 480 geothermal wells provide heating and cooling.

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for new complex in China
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Nanjing Road mixed use area by RTA-Office

Pint glasses of beer provided the inspiration for this cluster of tower blocks underway in Qingdao, China, by architects RTA-Office.

Nanjing Road mixed use area by RTA-Office

Set for completion in 2014, the mixed-use complex will occupy an entire city block and will provide offices, apartments and leisure facilities, including a hotel, a shopping centre, restaurants and a sports centre.

Nanjing Road mixed use area by RTA-Office

The city of Qingdao is also home to the Tsingtao brewery, one of China’s largest lager manufacturers and the producer of the popular Tsingtao beer. RTA-Office chose to make reference to this by incorporating the shape and colour of a glass of beer within each structure.

Nanjing Road mixed use area by RTA-Office

“We have thoroughly studied the environment and character of the city to propose a project that the city can feel is its own project and that has a unique character,” said the architects. “This strong reference suggested to us both the shape of the project and the colours.”

Nanjing Road mixed use area by RTA-Office

The proposals are for a series of glazed towers, each with different heights and varying golden tones.

Nanjing Road mixed use area by RTA-Office

“We paid special attention to the configuration of the volumes,” added the architects. “We set them very carefully and in a harmonious way. We also paid attention to the colour-scheme; the result gives a touch of elegance and warmth to the complex.”

Nanjing Road mixed use area by RTA-Office

Leisure facilities will be located at ground level where possible and will spill out onto a series of new streets and plazas.

Nanjing Road mixed use area by RTA-Office

Lead by architect Santiago Parramón, Spanish firm RTA-Office has studios in Barcelona, Shanghai and Istanbul. Past projects include the basalt-clad House C in Barcelona.

Nanjing Road mixed use area by RTA-Office

Other unusual proposals we’ve featured from China include a pair of spiralling buildings inspired by an ancient emblem and a skyscraper inspired by spacecraft.

Nanjing Road mixed use area by RTA-Office

See more architecture in China »

The post Nanjing Road mixed use area
by RTA-Office
appeared first on Dezeen.