Xiamen Museum | Xiamen | China | Mad

This museum is located in the southern Chinese city of Xiamen, on an island in the middle of a resevoir that runs through the centre of the city. Such an inspiring site demands an equally inspiring response.
MAD's design concept is a floating museum, lofted up above the ground. The structure reflects the surrounding environment, but also maintains the current use of this environment as a natural space for the city's residents.
The design is comprised of three levels. At ground level, landscaped public space filters visitors around the site to various recreational spaces: amphitheatres, open sports fields, places to meet. The middle level makes up the museum itself, where the main functions such as exhibition spaces, cafes, restaurants and offices, hover high above the ground. Five tall supports rise out of the landscape like stalks, providing the vertical access to the museum. ......more