Zaha Hadid Architects has revealed design for the new Shenzhen Science & Technology Museum, the museum features undulating terraces and central fully-glazed atrium, presenting a cave-like volume.

Covering a total 125,000-square-metre area, the new museum will be located within the Guangming Science City, China - it is aimed to become a pearl of the Guangzhou–Shenzhen Science Technology Innovation Corridor.

The building is now underway and construction of the Shenzhen Science & Technology Museum is scheduled for completion in late 2023.

Zaha Hadid Architects' museum will be a key destination to learn and explore the power of science & technology and understand their impact on our life and future. 

Image © Slashcube

Linked with universities, schools and innovation centres across China, the museum is intended to form the region’s World Class Science City, becoming a landmark institution that will showcase and strengthen Shenzhen’s global position as a leading centre of innovation and technology.

Zaha Hadid Architects designed an U-shaped plan providing intuitive orientation and navigation, thanks to its form, it will guide visitors through its sequence of interconnecting public spaces, galleries and educational facilities centred around its atrium courtyard. 

Through its fluid form, the building will create a journey of discovery that unites the city and park with the museum’s inspirational exhibitions.

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The design scheme incorporates maximum adaptability as a basic design principle, the geometries, proportions and spatial experience of each gallery will offer visitors a rich and varied experience each time they visit. 

"While some galleries can remain familiar and unchanged, others will change according to the type of exhibition showing at the time," said Zaha Hadid Architects in a project description.

"The geometric definition of the museum’s envelope has been informed by its programme, echoing the spatial flow within its galleries and connecting the museum’s central atrium with the public park to the west."

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As the studio explains, the design is a volumetric response to the distinct conditions of the site. Its volumetric layout responds to the city to the east and the design is defined by its solidity and dynamic curvilinear geometries that express the many urban circulation routes to the east of the site.

"These fluid lines are gradually elongated along the museum’s north and south elevations with openings carved into the volume to offer glimpses of the activity within," the firm added. 

"To the west, the building transforms as it extends towards the natural landscapes of Guangming Park to define layers of terraces that frame the glazed wall leading to the courtyard atrium at the heart of the museum."

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Becoming an important public building for the city and a significant centre for youth education, the Shenzhen Science & Technology Museum is planned as benchmark for sustainability within the region’s civic architecture.

ZHA used detailed computer modelling and wind tunnel testing to have extensive analysis of thermal performance, natural lighting, wind levels and air quality to maximise the effectiveness of the building’s envelope in reducing energy consumption while ensuring visitor comfort and the preservation of its collection.

Image © Brick 

"As the museum will be located within Shenzhen’s subtropical climate with a mild winter and warm spring/autumn, the design optimises energy conservation during Shenzhen’s hot, humid summer with the very high thermal insulation performance of its envelope together with high-efficiency glazing, HVAC, lighting and smart building management systems," added the studio.

"The museum’s procurement, full life-cycle performance and adaptability for future configuration are also evaluated and assessed to reduce embodied carbon and achieve the highest Three-Star rating of China’s Green Building Evaluation Standard."

Image © Brick

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Image © ZHA

Zaha Hadid Architects recently revealed design for a new high-rise with curved glass façade in Hong Kong’s Business District. The firm is also working on a new stadium in Xi’an, China.

Project facts

Project Location: Shenzhen, China
Client: The Bureau of Public Works of the Shenzhen Municipality
Operator: The Shenzhen Association for Science and Technology
Design: Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA)
Consortium Local Design Institute: Beijing Institute of Architectural Design (BIAD)

Consortium Lead (ZHA) Team:
ZHA Principal: Patrik Schumacher
ZHA Project Directors: Charles Walker (Commercial Director), Paulo Flores, Simon Yu
ZHA Project Architect: Edgar Payan
ZHA Project Senior Associate: Lydia Kim
ZHA Project Package Leads: Juan Montiel, Jinqi Huang, Niran Buyukkoz, Saman Dadgostar, Julian Lin, Richard Wasenegger
ZHA Project Team: Berkin Islam, Cheryl Lim, John Kanakas, Sven Torres, Michael On, Yuxuan Zhao, Enoch Kolo, Karina Linnsen, Boyan Hristov, Bechara Malkoun, Mansel Haynes

ZHA Competition Team:
ZHA Project Design Directors: Paulo Flores, Simon Yu
ZHA Project Architects: Karoly Markos, Edgar Payan
ZHA Design Leads: Niran Buyukkoz, Saman Dadgostar.
ZHA Project Team: Jinqi Huang, Berkin Islam, Billy Webb, Cheryl Lim, Christos Koukis, Federico Fauli, Juan Montiel, Jurij Licen, Michal Wojtkiewicz, Bogdan Zaha, Michael On, Yuxuan Zhao, Enoch Kolo, Nastasja Mitrovic

Competition Stage Consultants:
Acoustics Consultants: Marshall Day Acoustics
Exhibitions Consultants: Art of Fact
Cinema Consultants: Teecom
Landscape Consultants: Gillespies

Specialist Consultants (Schematic Design Stage):

Façade Consultant: GYAC (Shanghai)
Acoustics Consultants: Acoustics & Theatre Design Division, East China Architectural Design & Research Institute
Green Building Consultants: Jorjun Green Building Technology, Guangdong
Exhibitions Consultants: Art of Fact
Cinema Consultants: Teecom
Landscape Consultants: Gillespies

Specialist Consultants (Preliminary Design Stage):
Local Design Institute (Structure & MEP): Capol International & Associates Group
Local Design Institute (Architectural): Beijing Institute of Architectural Design
Façade Design Consultants: Dadi Facade Technology
Interior Design Consultants: J&A (Jiang & Associates)
Exterior Lighting Consultants: GD-Lighting Design Consultancy

Top image © Brick 

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