ART MUSEUM OF THE CHINA SCULPTURE INSTITUTE

Located in Shenshan Park, Wuhu, Anhui Province, this project is a renovation of the park's former greenhouse. At the heart of this adaptive reuse project lies the core concept of achieving a "modern translation of cultural DNA," striking a delicate balance between reverence for history and artistic innovation. The museum traces local cultural roots, structuring its exhibition spaces into five themed zones based on the traditional Chinese five-element system: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water.
Spatially, the art museum breaks away from the conventional enclosed gallery model. It cleverly leverages the terrain, employing Chinese garden borrowing techniques to allow indoor and outdoor spaces to interpenetrate and merge into a cohesive whole. The sculpture displays are divided into three main areas based on the materials' differing needs for light and backdrop: indoor exhibition halls, outdoor green spaces, and a water display zone. The spatial experience is further enriched through multi-layered vertical design: a double-height atrium corridor offers dual perspectives for large-scale sculptures; the waterside exhibition hall and a circular walkway extend the visitor's journey, with the water hall creating a unique atmosphere where artworks appear to float upon shimmering waves.
Ecological sustainability is integral to the building itself. The main structure utilizes a steel frame, while the façade incorporates extra-large format concrete cladding panels and high-performance triple-glazed Low-E glass curtain walls, complemented by a thick insulation system. This ensures low-energy operation throughout both winter and summer.
Ingenious use of light and materials further defines the space's distinctive texture. The design skillfully introduces natural skylight, whose shifting qualities imbue the sculptures with a sense of continuous vitality. Mirrored floors in exhibition areas create striking visual interplay between reality and reflection, offering a multi-dimensional, interactive viewing experience.
Thus, the architecture itself becomes the grandest sculpture within the park, interwoven with the mountain, water systems, vegetation, and light to form a "time-carving machine" that continuously expands artistic possibilities. This embodies its core philosophy: only when urban spaces evolve from mere containers for consumption into autonomously breathing "cultural organisms" can they truly achieve sustainable development that is "renewed through history."