Beijing architects MAD developed the project of the Museum of Chinese Wooden Sculpture. Completed in 2013, the museum is located in Harbin, China.
According to the architects: “The building clearly stands out even against the background of the prosperous metropolitan area of Harbin, China. It stretches for 200 meters in length and looks like a geographical anomaly, surrounded by densely populated neighborhoods and Chinese-style residential complexes. The museum embodies some of the advanced conceptual and formal ideals that define MAD's work, which strives for the expressiveness and abstraction of nature in contrast to the everyday environment. The boundaries of hard and soft forms are blurred throughout this 13,000 sq.m building, reminiscent of the local natural landscapes and landscape.
“The architectural exterior of the building is covered with polished steel plates, reflecting the surroundings and changing light. Solid walls ensure minimal heat loss. The tearing and buckling movements of the roof break up the surface and let in the natural light of the low-hanging sun of northern China. This provides enough natural diffused lighting in the three rooms of the interior.
“The museum contains mainly local wooden sculptures, as well as paintings depicting the ice and snow of the regional landscape. In the context of a large modern metropolis, the museum is a new interpretation of nature. The surreal interaction between the museum and the city breaks through the boredom of the urban shell, imbuing the neighborhood with a new cultural function.”
