ARCHITECTURE

Organic shapes

CROX design and architecture studio came up with an aluminium-clad museum with an unusual shape
18 December, 2019
The new Liyang Museum in China is inspired by the city's cultural heritage and environment, and shaped like a traditional musical instrument.

Sitting next to a lake in a city in Jiangsu province, the aluminium construction is defined by its seemingly lightweight, flowing, almost organic lines. It was aimed to become a truly eco-friendly spot that would represent a creative blend of public landscaping and sustainable approach.

The unusual shape stems from the ancient Chinese instrument called the guqin, a seven-stringed zither. Thin strips of aluminium cladding in numerous brown shades recall the carved wood of the musical instrument. The metal's reflective qualities create a play of light across the amorphous structure.

The openness, explain the museum's architects, is meant to "welcome people from all directions."

Images: Dezeen
"Liyang Museum's top section is a floating architecture," said the studio. "It feels like poetry, smooth and thoughtful"

There are two paths that lead to the building. One, an extension of the paved pathway that lies around the site, leads into an underground lobby which is inserted right into the hill itself via an entrance facing out to the lake and surrounded by a white-rendered concrete portal.

Another entrance starts from a large wooden stairway that is located at the slope of the green hill. This path has its final destination in a beautiful courtyard beneath the museum.

Images:Dezeen
"Liyang Museum's top section is a floating architecture," said the studio. "It feels like poetry, smooth and thoughtful"

There are two paths that lead to the building. One, an extension of the paved pathway that lies around the site, leads into an underground lobby which is inserted right into the hill itself via an entrance facing out to the lake and surrounded by a white-rendered concrete portal.

Another entrance starts from a large wooden stairway that is located at the slope of the green hill. This path has its final destination in a beautiful courtyard beneath the museum.

Banner image: Dezeen