Foster + Partners complete pyramid-like museum in Datong, China

2022-01-06T14:28:00-05:00

The Datong Art Museum has opened to the public in northern China, having recently been completed by Foster + Partners. The firm describes the new museum as a “landscaped terrain with a series of interconnected pyramids emerging from below the earth.”

Image by Yang Chaoying for Foster + Partners

The scheme’s four interconnected roof pyramids increase in height and fan outwards towards the four corners of the surrounding plaza. A clerestory between each volume combines with roof lights at the apex of each pyramid to allow natural light to flood the interior during the day, while creating a “unique beacon for the new cultural quarter” at night.

Image by Yang Chaoying for Foster + Partners

The roof’s design has been informed by the need for large structural spans, allowing a flexible column-free volume for the galleries. The roof is clad in naturally oxidized curved steel plates, with panel sizes proportioned to suit the large scale of the museum, and a linear arrangement to accentuat...

Back to the future: the fake relics of the 'old' Chinese city of Datong

2014-10-22T13:22:00-04:00

Six years ago the then-mayor launched an ambitious plan to reconstruct the lost walls, watchtowers and Ming-style homes of the city – resettling tens of thousands of residents and transforming Datong into a tourist site. Now few want to live here

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Foster + Partners complete pyramid-like museum in Datong, China

Back to the future: the fake relics of the 'old' Chinese city of Datong