CONCEPT
First, our proposal for the Yinxu Museum is a new type of institution for conservation and display. Designed simultaneously for researchers and the public at large, there are no precedents for this museum.

Second, it is a museum that bridges the past and the future. Archaeology should not be anchored in nostalgia and pastiche. In our museum, we wanted to celebrate the archaeological history of China in Yinxu through a contemporary symbol that would have world-class significance.

Third, our museum is an important part of the city. Its urbanity is expressed through three elements:

a) The Base, with its central Mall that offers a dialogue between the sacred of the collections and the profanity of the shops, restaurants, cafes, lecture halls and souvenirs.

b) At the Top, the Observatory, namely our River Gallery, as it provides an extraordinary view towards the river, city and surrounding areas. It is an extroverted museum.

c) The In-Between, a vast hanging garden for the use of everyone. It will be an extraordinary space for the public and will bring the city into the Museum. more

For us, one of the most important parts of Yinxu is the River. The Yinxu Museum celebrates the River and the exceptional ruins of the Shang Dynasty founded along the Huan River. The project articulates the landscape with the River on the west and the city blocks on the east. Across the River, the ancient excavations are visible.

DESCRIPTION
As aforementioned, our museum is made of three parts: the River Gallery, the Suspended Garden and the Excavation Base. It is oriented to the west to contemplate both the river and the ruins. The front of the museum shows its in-between garden and its suspended River Gallery, and the excavated concrete base with the Conservation Department. The main entrance to the Museum is on the upper ground floor. It opens to a large mall. On the left are the galleries. On the right are the shops, the cafe and the auditorium. The lower gallery exhibits large pieces of artifacts. The famous Chariots Exhibition Area is designed as a sunken excavation pit; it reproduces the historical features and restores the working scene of the archaeological scholars.

Upstairs, in the River Gallery, the visitors have a unique panorama towards the river. The panorama includes a view towards the existing ruins. Then, the visitors go down, through the Suspended Garden for outdoor exhibition and public use. back

Credits

SCHEDULE
International Invited Competition, 2019 (including: GMP, MVRDV, He Jingtang, Liu Kecheng)
SIZE
430,500 sq. feet (40,000 m2)
(site: 153,520 m2)
BUDGET
N/A
ORGANIZER
Anyang City Cultural Relics Bureau
CO-ORGANIZER
World Architecture Magazine

TEAM
Lead Designer: Bernard Tschumi. Key Personnel: Joel Rutten, Christopher Ball, Wenjun Yu, Valeria Paez Cala, Sonia Grobelny, Alissa Lopez Serfozo, Fleur des Diguères (ArchiFED), Guo Fang (ArchiFED)
Renderings: ArchiFED back

Program: Museum