The Chinese branch of Stefano Boeri Architetti, Stefano Boeri’s global eponymous architecture firm, won the competition for the design of the Museum of Technology in Xi’an (also known as the Culture CBD Modern Technology Experience Center), a technology museum in the capital of the Chinese province of Shaanxi.
The project was inspired by the ancient origins of Xi’an, and the local natural landscape characterised by rivers and mountains.
The northern facade of the building, facing a public park, will call that landscape to mind through a series of undulating curves covered with vertical metal slats; the southern facade, which faces a busy city street, will comprise horizontal slats made from glass fibre-reinforced concrete.
‘The museum will be open to everybody, designed to activate a process of urban regeneration in the area and involve a wide audience – from technology enthusiasts to children and students,’ comments Boeri. ‘It will be a place of study, in-depth analysis, research and technological innovation, in the heart of one of the most important cities in Chinese history.’
Boeri’s characteristic architectural greenery will be prominent. A terraced roof has been designed to feature a hanging garden, to work as a continuation of the surrounding park with a system of rolling terraces that will allow visitors to climb the building. These terraces will be an integral part of the museum’s cultural programme of events, hosting screenings, activities, shows and performances, as well as offering citizens a new public outdoor space with unprecedented views of the park and the city.
The greenery project for the roof garden includes tree species such as Ginkgo Biloba, Acer Pictum and Pinus Bungeana, 12 types of shrubs, and 12 perennial herbaceous species typical to the Chinese natural landscape.
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