Set within a carefully designed new urban district in the city of Liyang in eastern China, a new museum focusing on the local history sits like a pebble next to a lake. The project is the flagship of this new part of town, which is defined by its flowing, organic lines and artful blend of water, greenery and public landscaping.
The openness, explain the museum's architects, CROX, is meant to ‘welcome people from all directions.’ Their task was to create a cultural landmark for the area and wider city, and this they have achieved.
The Liyang Museum is inspired by a Chinese musical instrument, the Jiaoweiqin, which is also one of the region's cultural symbols. CROX's head, C. R. Lin aimed to translate its shape and meaning into ‘architectural form', he says.
‘From the Asian point of view, architecture is seen as part of the whole of nature, which contains both inner and outer space; space that connects humans, earth and everything in the universe', say the architects. So a key driver in this design was the connection between inside and outside, both visually, in terms of lines and overall flow, and physically, in terms of access points and routes.
Trying to maintain a fine balance between the natural and the manmade, architecture and man, CROX created a museum that nestles lightly on a low, green hill. Its curvaceous shape, clad in aluminium, blends effortlessly with its surroundings, with the grounds around it acting almost as a vast entrance lobby to the exhibits within (these will focus on the town's history). ‘We hope it will become a popular meeting spot', say the architects.
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