Chengdu, China
Surrounded by mountain ranges in the area of Chengdu, the local Science Fiction Museum designed by Zaha Hadid Architects and Hangzhou Landscape Design Institute is a star-shaped structure that encompasses a total of 59,000-square-meter area and housing contemporary exhibition galleries, a multi-function hall, a conference center and various supporting ancillary spaces.
“Launching the careers of many renowned Chinese authors over the past five decades, Chengdu is the country’s leading incubator of science fiction writing,” explains Zaha Hadid Architects.
“Surrounded by mountain ranges and forests, the city of Chengdu has cultivated unique local traditions and culture rooted in its rich history that includes the celestial forms within the carvings and masks of the Bronze Age Sanxingdui civilization.”
“The capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China, Chengdu has grown to over 20 million residents as an important center of scientific innovation and research,” the office continues.
Integrated with the natural landscapes along the lakeshore, the museum’s design defines nodes of activity connected by pedestrian routes that extend from the city through the surrounding parkland into the heart of the building.
The museum’s design creates a journey of discovery that weaves between indoor and outdoor plazas at multiple levels to link the museum’s exhibition galleries, educational facilities, cafes, and other amenities.
The architects have created a sky-lit central atrium and its large window facing the spectacular Xiling Mountain connecting the museum’s interiors with its surrounding environment.
The museum’s natural hybrid ventilation optimizes Chengdu’s mild subtropical climate to provide comfort for visitors and staff throughout the year while photovoltaics within the museum’s large roof canopy contribute to meeting the building’s energy demands.
The exterior space is landscaped with plants native to the region, and the park surrounding the museum collects and stores rainwater for natural filtration and reuse, enabling Jingrong Lake to become an integral part of Chengdu’s sustainable drainage system that will mitigate flooding and increase biodiversity throughout the city.
Project: Chengdu Science Fiction Museum
Architects: Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA)
Lead Architect: Patrick Schumacher
Design Team: Team: Andrei-Ciprian Cojocaru, Berkin Islam, Chu Zhou, Hao Wen, Jillian Nishi, Lianyuan Ye, Meng Zhao, Shang Li, Stefan Manousof, Sven Torres, Yang Liu, Yuling Ma, and Xiaoying Li
Landscape Architects: Hangzhou Landscape Design Institute
Structural Engineering: China South West Architecture Design Institute
