Rapid Dynamics

Growth, the Chinese way: In 1979, Shenzhen had just about 30,000 inhabitants. Thirty years later, 12 million people call the boomtown near Hongkong their home, with the city having one of the highest per-capita incomes in the whole of China. Building activities are accordingly high. One of the most exciting project in this city is the museum complex, featuring a futuristic layout and a metal façade held in flashy red, to be erected in the district of Longgang by Delft architects Mecanoo . The design just recently selected by the local authorities has an art museum, a science museum, a youth center and a large book store, all spread across an area of nearly 90,000 square meters.

Red allover

The theme of color is a central one throughout the works of Mecanoo. Never forgotten is their reconstruction of Amsterdam church into a theater, with deep red, ultramarine blue and golden colors creating an atmospheric stage setting. When designing the museum complex in Shenzhen, the architects gathered around Francine Houben took this idea three steps further and developed a shining red building disk, composed of four structures of various sizes, looking like an over-sized Ferrari due to its aero-dynamic shape, as a meaningful symbol for the city’s growth.

The design gets additional dynamics from the inclined building edges meeting at the individual structures’ eaves height. The irregular arches not only create a roofed free area between the individual structures, but also allowed the architects to arrange the entrances to the houses in a clear fashion. Another detail are the glass fronts and the irregular window ribbons, cut into the metal shell like flashes of lightning. The design is emphasized by atmospheric lighting, turning the new building into a futuristic body of light at night.

New Middle

In 2009, Mecanoo had already won the international competition dealing with planning the commercial quarter of Longgang in the direct proximity. Thus, the architects already knew the local situation very well. Based on the plans at hand, the now developed a circularly arched pedestrian ramp, connecting the new building and the adjacent Longcheng park with the surroundings. And creating plenty of space and distance to approach the museum with the proper level of astonishment. A powerful design that makes us want even more.