A museum that grows out of the landscape
Shenzhen Natural History Museum — a 100,000 m² museum on the Pingshan River delta, from a winning competition entry to schematic design at 3XN / GXN.
LOCATION
Pingshan, Shenzhen
SCALE
100,000 m² museum
CLIENT
Chinese Ministry of Culture
YEAR
2020 — 2021
STATUS
Built, opened July 2026
THE BRIEF
A competition among major firms for a natural history museum on the Pingshan River delta that weaves together nature, culture and well-being.
MY ROLE
Sustainability research and strategy for the winning competition entry at GXN, then design studies, visualisations and space planning at 3XN during schematic design.
Competition
Looking at the context
The project is located next to the picturesque Yanzi Lake in the Pingshan District of Shenzhen, China.
Developing a strong concept
The Natural History Museum was meant to enhance the beauty of the landscape and act as a transition between the river delta and the city.
Schematic design
Exhibition circulation
The exhibition areas sit inside the “cones” of the building. The “corridors” are formed by the buffer areas between the exhibition spaces.
The exhibition areas are aligned in one continuous flow, but their organisation also offers multiple ways to visit. Visitors can easily move through the buffer zone to the exhibition of their choice.
EXHIBITION FLOW
USER CIRCULATION
Main lobby and core
The exhibition flow starts in the lobby, with a ramp down to the underground floor. Users can also reach the exhibition levels through the central core, with its elevators and stairs.
SECTION PERSPECTIVE · MAIN LOBBY AND CORE
EXHIBITION START
Design studies
A big part of my role was design studies of different areas of the museum, looking at materiality and details: the rooftop restaurant and how to make it accessible indoors and out, the science and conservation labs, the café and more.
Final plans
The plans show every level of the museum, from the underground exhibition level up to the roof.
Built
PHOTOS © ADAM MØRK / 3XN
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