Shanghai, China
“The new museum, while relatively small in size, plays an important role in the revitalization of this historic area on the iconic Huangpu River,” states Tuomas Silvennoinen, partner at PES-Architects.
Designed by Tuomas Silvennoinen and his team at PES-Architects Ltd., the new Shanghai Submarine Museum, administratively part of the China Maritime Museum in Shanghai, occupies a prominent position in a dock of the former Jiangnan Shipyard, more recently part of the 2010 Shanghai World Expo site on the Huangpu riverfront in Shanghai, China.
Silvennoinen ‘s scheme won first place in the international museum design competition.
The west bank of the Huangpu River in central Shanghai is currently undergoing a major urban transformation with old industrial docks and sites being converted into cultural venues, public parks, and recreational sites; and the new submarine museum will be an integral part of the revitalization.
The museum will initially showcase a decommissioned submarine, later to be expanded with flexible exhibition/event spaces and a restaurant.
In Silvennoinen’s concept, the museum is placed as a bridge on top of the submarine and across the dock pool, allowing for continuous flow across the site while leaving most of the dock intact.
A low, simple structure of 500 m2 in the first phase, set to be completed in the first quarter of 2022, the building will grow upwards by 3,000 m2 in the second phase (2023).
The building forms a symbiosis with the submarine and hovers over the dock as a mysterious, intriguing object with fantastic views towards the river, the dock, and the submarine.
The reflective mirror facade simultaneously amplifies its context and disappears, attracting attention yet respecting its environment.
Glass, steel, and wood form an elegant contrast to the rough textures of the museum dock.
The dock floor has a gradually undulating topography that can be partially filled with water to form pools of various sizes, changing the outlook and function of the area.
“This was our second competition win in China this year, soon after the Nanchang Poly Grand Theatre,” states Silvennoinen.
“In both cases, we were invited to participate by major players in the cultural or construction sector who were familiar with our track record of demanding architectural projects completed with a high level of quality.”
“While we’ve done well in many competitions, actually securing a win and commission is no easy task for a relatively small Nordic office.”
It’s great to see our long-term efforts in China paying off,” he continues.
The competition was organized as a two-phase invited tendering procedure by Shanghai Bund Investment Group Co. Ltd (BIG), with a total of seven participating design practices.
The jury commended the PES-Architects’ proposal for its considered relationship with its surroundings, retaining the feel of the industrial dock and showcasing the submarine, yet creating an artistic architectural image towards the Huangpu River.
The solution for the two construction phases was also considered successful.
Project: Shanghai Submarine Museum
Architects: PES-Architects Ltd.
Design Team: Tuomas Silvennoinen, Jyri Eskola, Ziyang Xu, Yueyang Li, Linli Lai, Jian Dou, Jianqiang Lin, Jie Tang, and Xiaojing Guan
Client: Shanghai Bund Investment Group Co. Ltd (BIG)
