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Title: China Wood Sculpture Museum By Marina Correa Photography: Iwan Baan; courtesy the architects Rising like a phoenix amidst a nondescript residential neighbourhood in Harbin, China is the China Wood Sculpture Museum that resembles a twisted and gnarled 200 meter-long steel structure. Created by Beijing-based MAD architects, the monument houses local wood sculptures as well as paintings depicting the regional icy landscape. “The boundaries between solid and liquid are blurred throughout this 13,000 sqm building, referencing the local natural scenery and landscape,” say the architects. The building’s exterior is sheathed in polished steel plates, which reflect the surroundings; while its form plays out various elements of chiaroscuro with the shifting incidence of the sun. Solid walls ensure minimal heat loss while the breaking and twisting motion of the emerging skylights splits the surface and floods the space with sunlight; thus providing adequate natural diffused illumination to the three internal halls. In the context of a modern urban setting, this museum serves as an abstract interpretation of nature, revitalizing the environment with a new cultural landmark. Known for their abstraction in design, be it the Absolute Towers or the Vertu Pavillion or the Ordos Museum or the Honglou Clubhouse, MAD architects have a penchant for asymmetrical and organic forms. So staying true to its architectural style of breaking away from stereotypical Lego-like linearity; the architects have created a structure that is not only inspired by the snowy landscape (especially seen when water turns to ice) but is also suggestive of the art displayed within. to view images click on indiaartndesign.com
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steel exterior, museum, China, diffused illumination, twisted form, architecture, interiors, modern architecture,
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