The Hainan Science and Technology Museum is an elegant contemporary cultural center for Haikou City in Hainan, China. Designed by MAD Architects, the museum features an elegantly swirling façade that matches the identity of the firm’s previous cloud-like buildings.
The form of the museum was inspired by the duality of the site. It is viewed within nature in a backdrop of a rich tropical rain forest, but it’s also seen in the context of the dense urbanity beyond. “From a distance, the futuristic building appears to emerge from the city, while visitors entering in the museum area witness it floating above the jungle,” says Ma Yansong, founder and principal partner of MAD. Because of the unique site conditions, the museum is a contemporary icon fitting for a metropolis, but also elegantly meets the organic forms of nature.
The project, which is now in the works, will provide 46,528 square meters, or over 500,000 square feet, of museum space. The museum is organized around a large central atrium filled with natural light from the large skylight. As visitors experience the museum, they are guided around this central space.
Visitors to the museum will begin their experience at the fifth-floor observation platform which allows for uninterrupted, 360-degree views of the site. On this floor, visitors can explore galleries focused on technology as well as outer space. From there, each floor will contain galleries about branches of science and technology. On the fourth floor, for instance, visitors will find galleries on ocean and life sciences. Math and science galleries are on the third floor and a children’s playground along with a multimedia interactive experience area can be found on the second floor.
The Hainan Science and Technology Museum is planned to open in 2024. Until then, keep scrolling to find beautiful images of the imaginative galleries and whimsical cloud-shaped museum.
The Hainan Science and Technology Museum looks like a cloud floating over the water.
