MAD Architects have unveiled the design of the Ancient Shu Sanxingdui Cultural Heritage Museum, a project designed to immerse visitors in the still largely unknown Shu civilization.
Consisting of a series of curved wooden structures scattered in an existing environment of dense greenery and clear water, Sanxingdui Eyes weaves architecture and landscape into a cultural public space.
Located in the western part of Guanghan City, Sichuan Province, the Sanxingdui Monument contains cultural relics between 2,800 and 4,500 years old, including longitudinal bronze eye masks and large bronze standing figures.
Large spans of timber construction create column-free open spaces that provide maximum flexibility in exhibition layout. During the daytime, the building’s wooden facades blend into the natural landscape, while at night skylights on the roof make the structures look like torch-shaped eyes behind the bronze and gold Sanxingdui masks. Upon arrival at the reception area, visitors are transferred to an observation hall where they are introduced to the Sanxingdui culture. An underground corridor leads to the exhibition halls, connected by a glass corridor running along the complex.
The layout of the pavilion allows the preservation of the existing landscape with trees and water features. The green roof connects different program blocks containing additional spaces, and the overall design is based on the interplay of architecture and nature. After exiting the museum, visitors can continue their journey along the preserved boulevard to the Hall of Digital Experience, the Exhibition Center for the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Relics, and the Study Hall.