China Wood Sculpture Museum

By Marina Correa

Photography: Iwan Baan & Xiazhi; courtesy the architects

 

China Wood Sculpture Museum

Rising like a phoenix amidst a nondescript residential neighbourhood in Harbin, China is the China Wood Sculpture Museum that resembles a twisted and gnarled 200 meter-long steel structure.

Appearing so evident amidst a thriving metropolitan district of Harbin, China, spanning 200 meters in length, the China Wood Sculpture Museum sits as a locational anomaly, seemingly out of place, surrounded by a densely populated Chinese-style neighborhood and residential complexes. 

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The building’s exterior is sheathed in polished steel plates, which reflect the surroundings; while its form plays out various elements of chiaroscuro with the shifting incidence of the sun.

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Solid walls ensure minimal heat loss while the breaking and twisting motion of the emerging skylights splits the surface and floods the space with sunlight; thus providing adequate natural diffused illumination to the three internal halls.

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In the context of a modern urban setting, this museum serves as an abstract interpretation of nature, revitalizing the environment with a new cultural landmark. Known for their abstraction in design, be it the Absolute Towers or the Vertu Pavillion or the Ordos Museum or the Honglou Clubhouse, MAD architects have a penchant for asymmetrical and organic forms.

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So staying true to its architectural style of breaking away from stereotypical Lego-like linearity; the architects have created a structure that is not only inspired by the snowy landscape (especially seen when water turns to ice) but is also suggestive of the art displayed within.

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