MAD Architects recently unveiled the construction progress of the modern Hainan Science Museum, which began in 2021. The museum's design aligns with Hainan's tropical climate, ensuring functionality and sustainability.
(Photo : ArchDaily/ MAD Architects )
Construction Update on the Museum
While cladding the facade of the biomorphic building, the architecture firm MAD has just released some construction images of its Hainan Science Museum. From the most recent photographs, it can be seen that the façade of the structure that spans 46,000 square meters has been covered in silvery fiber-reinforced plastic.
Moreover, through open seams and water-guiding grooves, this facade was created to accommodate the prevalent tropical climate in Hainan. The studio claims that the shape of the museum, which is six stories tall, was deliberated over to prevent the using materials that are optional. As mentioned, more effective utilization of resources is achieved by utilizing its curving facade, which directly links to its core, floor plates, and significant structure.
Accordingly, waste is also reduced by integrating the circulation and function layout with the building structure. As a place where technology and science meet nature, the museum was designed by MAD to blend its natural tropical backdrop with its metropolitan surroundings. The company's prior work on the Wormhole Library, situated nearby on Haikou Bay, is reportedly mirrored in this structure. As it approaches completion, the firm's ripped-facade One River North development in Denver, another eye-catching design and MAD's second completed residential project in the United States, recently surpassed a significant milestone.
On the other hand, in 2020, the project's planning phase began. In November 2021, work started on the main structure, which ended in June 2023. The museum reportedly aims to become a landmark that successfully combines contemporary architecture with natural settings, thereby fostering the convergence of environmentalism and technology. By June of this year, the curtain wall and landscaping at the museum are anticipated to be completed, and the museum is expected to open its doors to tourists in the year 2025.
Features of the New Cultural Venue
In Haikou City, China, the new cultural venue, Hainan Science Museum, is located in a new neighborhood of the Free-Trade Port. This region is distinguished by existing wetland areas and new projects, such as a school and a roadway that connects everything. By incorporating easily accessible gardens that increase the number of natural wetlands, the design that MAD Architects created aims to accommodate the local conditions.
Like an updraft, the Hainan Science Museum has a biomorphic form composed of fluid, flexible forms. This design concept simulates the upward circulation of warm air by utilizing a curtain wall made up of 843 pieces of Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic (FRP). The panels have been developed to accommodate the tropical temperature of Hainan to ensure the building's operation and endurance in a humid setting. They incorporate open seams and water-guiding channels to facilitate efficient drainage.
Furthermore, the museum's core, floor plates, and significant structure are all intimately related to the curved facade, which allows the museum's design to maximize the use of space and resources. Young children also have specific places on the second and third floors, while larger kids and adults journey on the sixth floor and descend via the exhibition spaces. The structure is surrounded by sunken plazas and wetlands, which introduce a natural element that functions as an interactive public area and an opportunity for learning and leisure.
Related Article: Dubai Council Approves Ambitious Plan to Transform Historic Neighborhoods into Open Museums'
