álvaro siza and carlos castanheira draw up plans for haishang museum campus in china

álvaro siza has again partnered with fellow portuguese architect carlos castanheira to develop plans for the haishang museum campus in china. located in jiading, a suburban district of shanghai, the brief called for a masterplan for the site, which is divided into four areas by the crossing of two minor streets. the site is bound to the north by a canal that encircles the center of haishang, to the east by one of the two rivers that meet in the center of the old town, and to the west and south by two busy roads.

siza and castanheira’s response, which includes a pavilion, a teahouse, and a bridge in addition to the main museum building, promotes access and fluidity. the museum, by far the site’s largest structure, is positioned to the south of the plot — spanning one of the minor roads. the ground floor features a welcoming lobby as well as temporary exhibition space and an auditorium. a gentle ramp leads from the lobby to the level above, which houses a series of multifunctional halls and more galleries capable of hosting the museum’s diverse collection.

‘the interior is composed of circulation areas between hierarchical spaces, allowing for choices and multifunction,’ explains carlos castanheira. ‘touring the building is a dynamic process, searching for space, culture and diversity. light and shadow, open space and solid forms, searching and finding, exhibition and contemplation. the materials used have hierarchy and logic, light and reflections that accentuate forms, volume and functions.’

to the north, the architects have also designed two separate structures: a teahouse that serves as a small restaurant, and a pavilion that contains an auditorium, exhibition galleries, and office space. the site’s final structure is a bridge that connects the museum campus to the remainder of the neighborhood to the east. meanwhile, the landscaping connects the complex forms and functions with planting and pathways. construction on the haishang museum is expected to start soon.

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project info:

client: the propaganda department of jiading district, CCCP; culture broadcasting film radio television administration bureau, jiading district, shanghai; the planning and land administration bureau, jiading district, shanghai
developer: shanghai oasis investment holding group, ltd.
teams: tendering company; shanghai international tendering company
arts and collection consultant: shanghai jiacheng collection art research center
property operation and management consultant: shanghai longday culture and media co., ltd
facility planning and architecture consultant: iArchitectstudio

architects: álvaro siza and carlos castanheira
office: CC&CB arquitectos
project architect: pedro carvalho
project team:
haishang museum — nuno campos, joão alves, susana oliveira, mariana mendes, diogo pinho, joel dinis, gil lima, afonso tigre, luisa felizardo, nuno rodrigues, raquel lima, rita ferreira, joana rocha, joana soeiro, filipe mota
haishang pavilion — nuno campos, rita ferreira, susana oliveira, joana soeiro
haisnahg tea house — nuno campos, susana oliveira, joana soeiro, rita ferreira, sofia conceição, diogo pinho, joão alves
hengli river bridge — nuno campos, raquel lima, nuno rodrigues
3D images: germano vieira, sara noronha