Shanghai and Taipei-based architecture practice CROX has built a super smooth museum in Changzhou, China, sitting on undulating hills to be part of the nature and create a secondary space underneath. 

Named Liyang Museum, the 19,000-square-metre museum is located in the southeast corner of Yan Lake Park in the new urban district, connecting an urban public space to the new nature. 

The museum emerges as an organic architecture in which its elements compose melodious music in the mountain forest. Inspired by a Chinese instrument, called Jiaoweiqin, which is one of Liyang's cultural symbols, the museum transforms this historical antiquity into an architectural form.

"That's the origin to build the city temperament," said CROX. "The architect C.R. Lin created the concept in the background of this story and transformed from historical antiquity into architectural form."

The museum has an open attitude welcoming people from all directions. The perfect combination of terrain tells about landscape culture and creates an oriental poetic life.

"According to a book of the Later Han dynasty: the story of Yong Cai writes—a man was burning paulownias to make dinner. Yong Cai passed by and heard wood cracking in the fire.He immediately understood it was a nice piece of wood and explained it to that man," said CROX in its project description.

"He took out the wood from the fire and made a musical instrument by using it. People were amazed by the beautiful sound of the instrument. The end of the wood was burned so it was called "Jiaoweiqin".

According to the architects, the museum helps to create discussion of what is essential space and what is oriental architecture. "From an oriental point of view, architecture is seen as a part of the nature whole which contains both inner and outer space; a space that connects human, earth and universe," they explained. 

"The team has considered the relationship between melody and nature, human and architecture interaction, delivering a poetic visualization process of culture and life senses. Design concept contains: KEJING (visualize & scenarize), XUANGE (hang & sing), LIUZHUANG (flow)."

The Liyang Museum draws a strong architectural presence on the natural terrain that creates a natural engagement between human, landscape and the building. The museum's top part is described as a floating architecture. 

"It feels like poetry, smooth and thoughtful. Its hollowed body contains "present, past and future" exhibition halls. Its location beside a lake provides multiple access and crossing views, referring to the theory of architecture scholar Colin Rowe's," added the firm.  

"Liyang Museum's design emphasizes in buildings accessibility and combination of multiple concepts."

When visitors enter the underground, they encounter a different type of space that creates its own climate and atmosphere. That floating architectures sits on hills and hills become museum's bottom. Its organic shape blends and extends into surrounding land. It feels natural and welcoming. People can visit architecture causally, says the architects. 

The entrance plaza is located in the south west, right under the museum’s floating body. The plaza functions as museum's main entrance, connecting and bringing visitors to museum's central courtyard. 

The Central courtyard has its own climate. The team assumes it will become a popular meeting spot. At night, the water drop shaped patio sits on the top of the courtyard; acting like an open window to spreading light out into the sky. It sparks, attracting people’s attention.

1st floor plan

2nd floor plan

3rd floor plan

Section 1-1

Section 2-2

East elevation

North elevation

South elevation

West elevation

Project facts

Project name: Liyang Museum
Client: Suwan China Cooperation Demonstration Area Construction Co., LTD
City cultural consultant and system service design: Shangyuan Academy
Architecture and landscape design firm: CROX
Design team: C.R. Lin, Darcy Chang, Dr. Zheng-Hao Song, Yue Jiang, Saunaam Yip, Tian-Ye Zhou, Jia-Yi Zhu, Li-Dong Sun, Nicky Ni
Location: Liyang City, Jiangsu Province, China
Completion time: 2019.09
Area: Above Ground Floor Area: 12,000 m2
Underground Area: 7,000 m2
LDI: Nanjing Yangtze River Urban Architectural Design Co., LTD.
Curtain wall design consultant: Schmidlin Curtain Wall Technology Co., Ltd.
Design Materials: Glass Curtain Wall, Aluminum Plate
Brand: Hai Tai, Tai Shan, TOTO

All images © Zhi Xia

All drawings © CROX

> via CROX