Rizhao Urban Planning Museum

ELEV (Elevation Workshop) has recently won the third place in the design competition for Rizhao Urban Planning Museum. A first place winner was not selected.

About the project:
Rizhao Urban Planning Museum
(Awarded Competition Scheme)

Location: Shandong Province, China
Design Period: September 2009 - October 2009
Client: Chinese Government
Area: 8000 square meters

A city of sun and sea, a building of sunshine and water.
Although water has no shape, it can sculpt an entity.
Although light has no border, it can sketch the profile.

In the beautiful seaside city Rizhao, we hope the Planning Exhibition Museum can become a monumental building which is featured with sunshine and water. The enclosure of the construction will no more be a simple wall, but a gradually changing experience interacting with light and shadow.

The suspending main building consists of three circular spaces. They vary from hollow-carved to transparent to segregating according to the sequence of outside toward inside, just like the halo of the sun. As the sun rises and sets everyday, the suspending building projects its constantly changing shadow to the plaza. The hollow carved external structure is in the shape of waves, producing shadow patterns to the ground. These patterns work as a transition between a plaza of suffused sunshine and the shadow of the construction, becoming a virtual border for people to enter the region of the architecture, just like an intangible wall, which can be penetrated.

The watermark shadow changes constantly, as if it is flowing slowly. Above it, the suspending main building symbolizes sunrise at sea.

Rizhao is a green and sustainable developing city. Our building design adopts a hi-tech solar sunshield system, in order to make the most use of green energy. It was also important to achieve energy-saving goals in ventilation and lighting by the design of double surface layers, which consist of one large and one small.

In the aspect of structure, this building, adopting a large cantilevered steel structure, would bring the advantages of steel structure into full play and indicate the strong support of Rizhao’s own steel industry to its city development.

About ELEV:
Elevation Workshop (ELEV) is an interdisciplinary Architecture and Design Firm. Positioned at the crossroads of art and architecture, the interests range from urban/rural planning and architectural design to interior, furniture and product design.

www.elevationworkshop.com