Hefei Science and Technology Museum

Recently, the new building project of Hefei Science and Technology Museum, which was jointly designed and tendered by BIAD Institute of Architectural and Urban Design (IAUD) and CRTKL, has basically completed the construction drawing and is about to enter the construction stage. The scheme responds to the unique environment of the base through the theme of "people-technology-nature" and strives to build a new generation of science and technology museums from the perspective of urban design. 

The new Science and Technology Museum project is located in Wangzui Lake Park in Hefei High-tech Zone, which is not only a member of the landscape system, but also a landmark node of the city. Taking advantage of the location of the site between natural ecology and city area, the plan highlights the combination of ecology and artificiality to form a building form that grows from nature. Combined with the concession requirements of the non-construction area in the plan, the north side of the site will be made into an open city parlor, connecting the city, nature and the internal space of science and technology museum, highlighting the social responsibility of science and technology museum as the urban cultural center.

The slowly-rising afforestation slope facing city parlor and interspersed metal boxes form an overall impression of the science and technology museum. It employs concise and affirmative basic forms to imply the symbiotic relationship between technology and nature in the new era. The natural ecological afforestation roof makes the Science and Technology Museum itself be integrated into the park environment, the metal box growing on the roof uses artificial modeling and technological materials to reflect the surrounding environment under different light conditions and interact with the landscape environment. Afforestation roof is also a natural rainwater collection facility. The roof rainwater is purified by layers of vegetation and flows into the rainwater recovery system on the north side. At the same time, the comprehensive application of various green technologies such as photovoltaic power generation, adjustable shading, and electrochromic glass has also made the Science and Technology Museum itself a large-scale science and technology exhibition project. 

A north-south axis connects the site and forms the most important internal public space. The north end faces the urban city parlor and establishes indoor and outdoor spatial connections. The south end overlooks Wangzui Lake Park and introduces natural landscape into the interior, forming a spatial dynamic line from the city to the nature. This dynamic line rises layer by layer along with the overall slope, connecting the underground and above-ground exhibition halls and rest spaces, together with the transparent and bright natural light environment, forming an interactive and friendly open space. 

After the completion, the new building of Hefei Science and Technology Museum will become a multi-functional composite cultural venue integrating exhibition, education and leisure. It not only brings positive influence and promotion to the cause of scientific and technological innovation, but also carries our symbiosis vision of "human-technology-nature" in the new era.