coordination asia: shanghai film museum links past and future

coordination asia shanghai film museum
image © tilman thürmer / coordination asia ltd.
all images courtesy of coordination asia

chinese firm coordination asia has transformed a former film studio into the ‘shanghai film museum,’ the first center dedicated to documenting and promoting the city’s cinematic history. the 15,000 square meter space is a collection of recreated film sets, dubbed classic films and 4D albums that  showcase shaghai’s film industry since its 1896 beginnings. the sequence of over 3,000 exhibits, which include over 70 interactive installations, introduce the visitor to every aspect of the movie industry over the last 117 years. emphasizing the connection to very human side of cinematic production, the program rebuilds daily life on set with backstage costume and prop rooms and the like. a monochromatic palette of glossy black and white, the hues of light and shadow, is accented with silver and red which serves to connect gallery spaces and to balance the content-rich programming of the museum. 

entry hall is an introduction to the artifact ridden and multimedia museum
image © tilman thürmer / coordination asia ltd.

shanghai’s most successful film studios are brought to life with a mix of objects and multimedia installations, among them the ‘river of dreams,’ a 50 meter-long interactive stream of films from 1949 to the present day. the overlying concept of the cultural institution is to create a visitor experience that frames cinema as both an ever-growing and magical part of contemporary daily life as well as a rich, deeply steeped tradition of storytelling in the region. the balance is accomplished by curating a ‘living’ environment and by artfully introducing contemporary technologies that make possible the tradition of sharing stories.  the relationship between the past, present, and future of cinema and its cultural importance is emphasized by displays and augmented by spaces for community engagement with film production and professionals.

welcome desk
image © tilman thürmer / coordination asia ltd.

viewers have a chance to experience live animation studios
image © tilman thürmer / coordination asia ltd.

objects from sets paint a very human portrait of daily life on set
image © tilman thürmer / coordination asia ltd.

a metaphorical ‘red carpet’ recreates the celebrity experience for museum goers
image © tilman thürmer / coordination asia ltd.

stars of films past are presented in technology-rich spaces
image © tilman thürmer / coordination asia ltd.

cinematic history is presented as a human narrative
image © tilman thürmer / coordination asia ltd.

film sets are rebuilt with sleek technology
image © tilman thürmer / coordination asia ltd.

multipurpose hall for professional and public interaction
image © tilman thürmer / coordination asia ltd.

1/8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

project info:

project name: shanghai film museum
location: xujiahui, xuhui district, shanghai, china
building area: 15,000 sqm
architect: coordination asia, ltd.
team: tilman thürmer, yu yin, david cassells, belinda chen, winnie wong, yichen ke, vega li
special consultant: nina rose
client: shanghai film group
detail design and construction: shanghai art-designing corp. and mileseum co., ltd.