Urban Planning Museum by Henn Architekten Opens in Nantong, China

German practice Henn Architekten recently celebrated the opening of its latest China project: Nantong Urban Planning Museum in the Eastern Chinese city of Nantong, just north of Shanghai.

Project Description from Henn Architekten:

As part of the master plan designed by HENN, the new Nantong Urban Planning Museum is located prominently along the central river, whose course, together with existing cultural and commercial facilities, establish the primary East-West axis of Nantong. The museum is characterized as a 16 m, floating volume, which rests on a setback glass pedestal, offering space for special exhibitions, café and bookstore. The overall dominant form which cantilevers above the glass entry, contains the primary exhibition space, offices and conference rooms.

Its distinctive façade is composed of two layers: the inner which thermally seals the building envelope, and the outer, a reticulated metal structure with a gradient of varied panels. The façade’s diamond-shaped Diagrid is comprised of seven different panels that allow for varying degrees of opening from 9%-60%. This provides an opportunity for the controlled regulation of sunlight in fine increments, to accommodate the needs of the interior program. The exhibition spaces are therefore, characterized by a predominantly closed façade with minimal openings, and the offices with maximum levels of natural daylight.

Project Details:

Project title: Nantong Urban Planning Museum
Client: Urban Planning Department of Nantong, Tongzhou

Architects and lead consultants: HENN
Principal: Prof. Dr. Gunter Henn
Design: Leander Adrian, Daniel da Rocha, Martin Henn, Anthony Hu, Alan Kim, Agata Kycia, Paul Langley, Jeewon Paek, Emil Pira, Klaus Ransmayr, Wei Sun, Mu Xingyu
Planning: Georg Pichler, Arjan Pit, Mu Xingyu, Jakob Drömmer
Quantity Surveying: Tshinghua University Architecture Design Institute
Construction Management Arjan Pit, Mu Xingyu

Structural engineers: Tshinghua University Architecture Design Institute, Beijing
Technical building services: Tshinghua University Architecture Design Institute, Beijing
Landscape design: HENN
Coordination/costing: Tshinghua University Architecture Design Institute
Project team: Arjan Pit, Mu Xingyu, Li Zhi
Construction management: Tshinghua University Architecture Design Institute, Beijing, Arjan Pit, Mu Xingyu
Interior design: Feng Yu Zhu (A Blue Design), Shanghai
Contractor: Xinhua, Nantong

Design period: November 2011 to May 2012
Construction period: March 2012 to October 2012
Gross floor area: 8,100 m2
Net floor area: 7,000 m2
Exhibition area: 4,900 m2

Find drawings and more photos in the image gallery below.