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exist Junya.ishigami + Associates recently completed the Water Art Museum in Rizhao, China – from a bird’s-eye view, the building appears to float on the water. The 170,000-square-foot art museum is constructed of reinforced concrete. It is located on a 6-foot-deep artificial lake in Shandong Province.
The award-winning Tokyo office designed the building between winter 2016 and summer 2019. The shovel’s water broke in August of that year, and the art museum finally opened last December. The building is part of a new planned development in Rizhao, a city about 200 miles south of Beijing on the Yellow Sea.
In his artistic statement, Junya Ishigami called the building a “gentle giant” because of its location in the landscape, surrounded by water and mountains. “When thinking about architecture in China, that country’s vast landscape can present daunting challenges,” Ishigami said. “So the question is, how to treat the environment and architecture equally in the Chinese context? How to make the environment and architecture as close as possible, how to make the boundaries between them as blurred as possible, and how to make nature the most gentle existence for us humans? That’s what this project is about.”
The Water Museum is very long and very thin: only one kilometer long from beginning to end. From an altitude perspective, half of it is above the water, like an iceberg, while the other half is below the water. The institution provides exhibition space for artists, a visitor center and a shopping mall. The oval sways back and forth across the plane: 15 feet wide in some places, 65 feet wide in others. Ceiling heights range from 4 to 16 feet.
The architects noted that they were inspired by Venice, the Italian canals and China’s historic water towns such as Wuzhen, an ancient settlement on the Yangtze River. In both cities, waterways also serve as commercial corridors for markets.
Inside, Junya.ishigami + Associates opted to paint the floors and ceilings in polished concrete. When water reflects on these surfaces, it creates the sensation of walking on water; a mystical experience. At certain points throughout the meandering space, the floor slabs slope and pools of water create another stunning optical illusion.
In section, floor-to-ceiling heights continuously change throughout the visitor’s journey. The architects said this allowed for plenty of light in certain areas. Then, with lower ceilings, less light spaces can accommodate different types of art that require more darkness, or just spaces for contemplation.
The building’s ornate concrete roof slab is supported by 300 columns. Spacing between spandrels and columns is maintained throughout. At certain points on the facade, structural members are only a few feet apart. Elsewhere, roof panels span long distances between thicker concrete supports. This creates a swinging, rhythmic, and interesting effect.
Along with the development of the new planned development in Rizhao, two new cultural institutions – Forest Kindergarten and Valley Church – will be built near Zaishui Art Museum, commissioned by the same client.
Translation services provided by Pamela Miki Associates.
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