A winner has been chosen from an international architecture competition to design the Shenzhen Natural History Museum (aka Delta). The contest attracted over seventy proposals, with the final bidding stage consisting of fifteen teams from 18 countries across Europe, North America, and Asia. First place and commissioning went to a consortium composed of 3 firms: 3XN, B+H, and Zhubo Design.
The co-design project is set to be the first large-scale comprehensive natural museum in Southern China and one of the city’s “Ten Cultural Facilities of the New Era.” The architects liken the form of the building to a river flowing over the Delta. Perhaps most intriguing is how the green roof slopes down to meet the ground like a ramp, allowing visitors to take a walk on top and enjoy the view.
One of the judge’s that selected the Delta proposal, Pritzker Prize-winning Yvonne Farrell of Grafton Architects, said:
This building captures the unique atmosphere of a riverfront site and finds the timeless property of water as a concept. The connection between function, site, concept, structure, material, and space is very clear.
The site is next to the picturesque Yanzi Lake in the Pingshan District of Shenzhen. The 42,000 square-meter (roughly 450,000 sq ft) building will be dedicated to showing Shenzhen’s geographies and its ecology from a global perspective, interpreting the laws of natural evolution, and actively advocating science.
The green roof is a public park that curves like a river stream finding its position in harmony with the earth. It highlights the museum’s organic geometries and frames a new breathtaking view of the surrounding landscape at every turn.
3XN’s press release reads:
3XN, B+H and Zhubo Design’s winning design scheme, entitled ‘Delta,’ rises seamlessly from the river delta, inviting visitors and residents to journey along its accessible green rooftop.
The rooftop park is an extension of the ground floor public park network. Its purpose is to enhance public use of the area with a range of activities dedicated to keeping the site continuously active – from daily morning jogs and evening strolls to sightseeing. This way, visitors and residents can enjoy the building and use it to connect with nature.
The rooftop walkways lead visitors into a large passage that resembles a cave that connects to several public areas and cafes. Most of the interior will be dedicated to exhibition space. Things like ancient extinct species of animals and dinosaur fossils will be on display.
Another judge, Philip Cox, said:
The concept of “Delta” is very creative. The continuously sloping exterior wall with the landscaped roof creates a continuous volume and spatial experience. The form of the cliff is very interesting, and the details are handled well. The layout of the museum and its interaction with ramps and walls create interesting spaces.
No construction date has been announced yet, but the project will cost around 3.5 billion Yuan (approximately US$530 million).
