The sinuous and aluminum-coated shape of the Liyang Museum in China it was designed to recall the essence of a musical instrument.
The Liyang Museum is located in a landscape of undulating green hills along a lake in Jiangsu province. The CROX architecture studio he wanted to translate the sound of an ancient Chinese instrument called the Guqin, a seven-stringed zither, into the shape of the building. And he succeeded.
Thin strips of aluminum cladding in various shades of brown recall the carved wood of the musical instrument. The reflective qualities of the metal create a play of light through the amorphous structure.
“The upper section of the Liyang Museum is a floating architecture,” reads a statement from the architects. “It feels like poetry, smooth and thoughtful”
The structure of the Liyang museum
Two paths lead to the museum beautifully designed by CROX. Uno, extension of the paved path that surrounds the structure, leads to an underground hall. It is carved into the hill itself through an entrance facing the lake and surrounded by a white concrete portal.
Another entrance it is accessible via a large wooden staircase that follows the slope of the green hill. This path leads into the space between the landscape and the shape of the museum creating a wonderful shaded courtyard.
The aluminium-clad form was divided into four individual spaces, living offices, educational areas and exhibition halls. Inside, the exhibits occupy white spaces that mirror the shape of the exterior.
Two terrace spaces, one “shaped like a drop of water” and facing north and the other located in the center of the roof, complete the whole. Visitors have spectacular views of the adjacent lake and the landscaped areas that envelop it.
At night, the patio at the top of the courtyard acts like an open window, pushing the light towards the sky.
If you have 3 minutes enjoy this video:
Golden times for aluminium
Not just Liyang Museum, however. Canadian studio Revery Architecture also used aluminum to clad an opera house in Hong Kong. Frank Gehry instead used hundreds of reflective aluminum tiles to cover the Luma Arles art complex.
