Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) has unveiled their designs for the future Shenzhen Science and Technology Museum located within the Guangming Science City in Shenzhen, China.
Spread across an area of 125,000 square metres, the upcoming museum aims to become a landmark institution that will showcase and strengthen Shenzhen’s position as a leading centre of innovation and technology in the world. To be linked with educational institutions and innovation centres across China, the museum will be an important destination for people to embark on a journey of discovery and explore the power of science and technology.
Featuring a U-shaped plan, the museum’s design provides intuitive orientation and navigation as it guides visitors through a sequence of interconnecting public spaces, galleries and educational facilities centred around an atrium courtyard.
The museum’s gallery spaces have been designed to be highly adaptable, with the geometries and proportions offering a uniquely different experience to visitors every time they visit. While some galleries will have permanent displays, others will change according to the exhibitions being hosted in the space.
According to ZHA, the design is a volumetric response to the distinct conditions of the site. Responding to the city to the east, the design is defined by its solidity and dynamic curvilinear geometries that express the many urban circulation routes to the east of the site. To the west, the building transforms as it extends towards the natural landscapes of Guangming Park to define layers of terraces that frame the glazed wall leading to the courtyard atrium at the heart of the museum.
Keeping in mind its future profile as a significant public building, the Shenzhen Science and Technology Museum is being designed as a benchmark for sustainability within the region’s civic architecture. Using detailed computer modelling and wind tunnel testing, extensive studies have been conducted for thermal performance, natural lighting, wind levels and air quality to maximise the effectiveness of the building’s envelope in reducing energy consumption while ensuring visitor comfort and preservation of the museum’s collections.
Shenzhen’s hot and humid summer has also been addressed in the museum’s design, which optimises energy conservation through effective thermal insulation of the building envelope as well as high efficiency glazing, HVAC, lighting and smart building management systems.
ZHA adds that the museum’s procurement, full life cycle performance and adaptability for future configuration are also evaluated and assessed to reduce embodied carbon and achieve the highest Three-Star rating of China’s Green Building Evaluation Standard.
The Shenzhen Science and Technology Museum is currently under construction and is scheduled for completion in late 2023.
