Shanghai Astronomy Museum

From the street level, it looks like an alien ship has just landed on earth. With its shiny smooth metallic skin and futuristic form, it is not hard to see why. However, all the nerds out there don’t get too excited just yet, this is just another mind-boggling building coming out of China!

With a footprint of 420,000 square feet, the new branch of the Shanghai Astronomy Museum is the largest museum of its kind in the world. The designer Ennead utilises scale, form and the manipulation of light to create an ‘immersive’ environment so that visitor can establish relationship with their surrounding and subsequently the universe.

Architecturally speaking, this building is extraordinary in the sense it is designed without any straight lines nor right angles, mimicking the dynamic geometry of the universe. Elipse instead of circle are mostly used to create a dynamic as opposed to static perception throughout the building. This again is echoing the universe which is constantly moving such as the rotation of the earth and the gravitational force of all the planets. There are three major components to this building namely – the Oculus, Inverted Dome and Sphere. These are actually astronomical instruments that track the sun, moon and stars.

Living in the modern concrete jungle, we have gradually lost our senses to our immediate environment. Just ask yourself, how often do you cast aside your mobile phones and simply enjoy the beauty of the ever changing sky that is so vast that it encompasses the entire planet? People nowadays spend more time looking down onto their phones than looking up. If not careful, human may soon evolved into a species with our head pointing downward to the ground. The idea of the Shanghai Astronomy Museum acknowledges this issue and set to refocus our attention back to the sky through the visit of this magnificent building. 

There are multiple locations within this vast building that provide glimpses of our magnificent sky for visitors to enjoy. The daylight that enters into the building also create an optical illusion whereby parts of the building seem to be defying gravity and floating in space.

Penang Art District

The Penang State Government has identified a 9.2 acres of PDC and state land situated off Gat Lebuh McCallum and Lebuhraya Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu, a mere 500 metres away from the original proposed site. With a much larger land area without the limitations of existing buildings and structures, the new site provides greater flexibility and new possibilities for the Penang Arts District. 

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng told a press conference today with advisor for Penang Arts Division Datuk Dr Tan Chee Kuan and general manager of PDC Datuk Rosli Jaafar. The Penang Arts District will also drive the revitalisation of the McCallum area, catalysing urban renewal in an area adjacent to the Georgetown UNESCO heritage zone, creating more employment opportunities for Penangites and greater value-added service industry. 

Media Statement by Y.A.B Tuan Lim Guan Eng, Penang Chief Minister on 22 June 2016 in Komtar, George Town, Penang PENANG ARTS DISTRICT’S CALL FOR PRE-QUALIFICATION APPLICANTS As an initiative to catalyse the economic impact of the creative industry in Penang, The Penang State Government has envisioned Penang Arts District to be the creative hub of Penang’s contemporary arts and culture. Originally, the Penang State Government was to embark on a project to regenerate and revitalise Sia Boey into the Penang Arts District as previously announced. However, Sia Boey was later identified as a likely site to be transformed into a transportation hub for the planned Light Rail Transit (LRT) and Mass Rail Transit (MRT) interchange under the Penang Transport Master Plan. As a result, due to the likely uncertainty as well as the likely construction period of as much as 10 years, the state has decided that the Penang Arts District will be better served at an alternative location. The Penang State Government has identified a 9.2 acres piece of PDC and state land situated off Gat Lebuh McCallum and Lebuhraya Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu, a mere 500 metres away from the original proposed site. With a much larger land area without the limitations of existing buildings and structures, the new site provides greater flexibility and new possibilities for the Penang Arts District. 

The new site can cater to the single largest collection of art galleries and cultural museums, creative boutiques, arts schools and workshops in Malaysia. We would of course not forget to populate the scene with hip cafes and trendy restaurants serving local and international cuisines to further enhance Penang’s reputation as the food capital of the region. We are confident that the Penang Arts District will become a must-visit arts destination of Southeast Asia. 

The Penang Arts District will also drive the revitalisation of the McCallum area, catalysing urban renewal in an area adjacent to the Georgetown UNESCO heritage zone, creating more employment opportunities for Penangites and greater value-added services industry. To support the setting up of Penang Arts District, we have appointed Dato’ Dr Tan Chee Khuan as an advisor for this project. Dato’ Dr Tan is currently the Vice-Chairman of the Penang State Art Gallery Committee and a prominent art collector, historian and writer. He has one of the largest private art collections in the state and frequently donates his collections to the Penang State Museum and Art Gallery for the public. I am certain that Dato’ Dr Tan will be able to guide and lead the state in ensuring the success of the Penang Arts District. 

The Penang Arts District team under Penang Conventions & Exhibitions Board (PCEB) has envisioned the venue to incorporate an 80,000 square feet container city and a 3-acre landscaped park. Such container cities have been successfully developed in Christchurch, Seoul, Dubai and Buenos Aires. (Pictures are included in the media kit.) They are quick to build and can be artistically composed and easily reconfigured. They will also reflect Penang’s heritage as an important shipping port. 

As we move forward, we are now excited to call for a Pre-Qualification proposal and submissions this exciting project. Designers, architects and contractors who are interested in participating in this landmark project may download the Pre-Qualification documents online via Penang Arts District’s website, www.penangartsdistrict.com. The project is expected to cost up to RM30 million. There will also be a compulsory briefing and site visit for interested participants on 30 June 2016. The deadline for submission is 23 August 2016. Shortlisted bidders from the Pre-Qualification exercise will then be requested to take part in a design and build tender exercise expected in September 2016. In the meantime, the Penang Arts District team will be running engagement programmes to get in touch with the relevant stakeholders of this project. We invite those who have fascinating proposals, or are interested in a space at the arts district, to contact the team. We look forward to receiving interesting conceptual ideas for the design and build of Penang Arts District. This marks for exciting times ahead as we embark on a journey in transforming Penang into a truly international and most liveable city in the world. LIM GUAN ENG Chief Minister of Penang 

This is indeed an overdue project as Penang has a large pool of artistic talent who have been active in their works behind the limelight. Their presence are elusive due to lack of venue to promote their, not to mention the less enthusiastic public. 

With a venue like the proposed Penang Art District, artists will finally have a proper platform to showcase their works while the public will find it convenient to appreciate art right at their backyard. This project is indeed the music to the ear of the art community in Penang.

Minsheng Contemporary Art Museum

In China, the country’s largest public contemporary art space has opened inside a renovated electronics factory dating from the 1980s. designed by Studio Pei Zhu, the Minsheng Contemporary Art Museum exists in contrast to standardized ‘white cube’ galleries, configured as a diverse series of exhibition spaces. In reusing an existing building, the design team sought to incorporate the rough industrial characteristics of the former factory with exposed textures and surfaces.

Internally, gallery typologies include spaces of different sizes and dimensions, classified as: big box, middle box, small box, classic space, courtyard exhibition space, and black box (multi-function performance, convention, exhibition spaces). Each area is organized as an organic extension of a welcoming double-height reception foyer, which includes staircase seating.

Staircases have double functions - circulation @ seating areas.

The reflective metal cladding give the Minsheng Contemporary Art Museum its futuristic look.

 

Various spatial volumes create interesting gallery spaces.

Source: designboom

A City-Sized Museum

Imagine a museum as big as a city floating above an impressive public plaza. Such is the bold proposal by MAD Architects, a firm well known for their unorthodox architecture. 

MAD Architect's submission to the National Museum of China Competition proposes an iconic building with an inhuman scale. An elevated public square with a huge floating building above is proposed which will be located along the central axis of the 2008 Olympic site.

Such a mind boggling building is only possible ever since China's opening up to the world in the 1970s. The booming creative scene in Beijing has propelled many outstanding artists to the global stage. As such more investment and recognition are being given to Chinese artists.

Connected by a bridge to the Olympic Park, the proposed museum intertwines nature with functions to blur the distinction between indoors and outdoors. The impressive exhibition space will have open views towards the city.

Singapore's ArtScience Museum

The surreal ArtScience Museum by Moshe Safdie with Singapore's vibrant skyline in the background.

MAD Museum At Pingtan

Organic Museum by MAD

Name: Ordos Art & City Museum

Architect: MAD Architects

Location: Ordos, Inner Mongolia, China