Shangrao Art Museum
Shangrao, China
Designed as part of the Civic Plaza in the heart of Shangrao, The Art Museum design by MZA Architecture is a landmark design influenced by the city’s identity in China. The three lifted wings represent the three provinces, three economic districts, and the three mountains near China’s largest lake, Pan yang lake. Diving a perfect circle, the three wings of the museum lift and curve upwards, guiding the interior pedestrian flow as well as a outdoor sculpture garden at it’s core. The sawtooth façade is designed to be operable, controlling the light allowed into various individual galleries in addition to the diffuse light of upper clerestory windows. The roof of each section of the spiral features accessible green roofs for further outdoor art exhibits, solar panels, rainwater collection and sustainable functionality. The building includes unique spaces for workshops, a gift shop, lecture hall, private gallery space, and more to support a lively civic building.
Within the park, Shangrao Art Museum’s locations was selected in relationship to the other plaza elements and main access roads. Oriented facing the center of the plaza, the Art Museum becomes an organic extension of the plaza and guides visitors to its entrance naturally. Along the main boulevard through the plaza is a deep green belt which connects visually to the rising green roof space on top of the art museum. The vertical topography and exterior fins on the Art Museum also helps to buffer any city or traffic noise from the center of the Plaza, protecting the space for visitors and events.