Black corrugated metal wraps the undulating, windowless walls of the Humao Museum of Art and Education that Álvaro Siza and Carlos Castanheira have completed in Ningo, China.
Set on the banks of Dongqian Lake, the minimalist museum was designed by Pritzker Prize-laureate Siza with fellow Portuguese architect Castanheira to evoke an ambiguous floating object.
Its black metal shell, which is elevated on a concrete plinth, conceals unexpectedly bright and spacious interiors that include a maze of ramps and white-walled art galleries.
The Humao Museum of Art and Education is cloaked by corrugated metal
"It's is a small museum that is immense inside," said Castanheira. "Leaning against on the hillside, its undulating form hovers above the ground." "It is intriguing in its elegance and in its mystery," he continued. "Nothing is obvious in this little building."
It is intended to evoke an ambiguous floating object
Humao Museum of Art and Education (MoAE) measures 5,300 square metres and has a loose triangular form, softened by several curved edges.
The only glimpses of activity inside are offered through slithers of glazing along the building's set-back concrete base that contains a foyer and basement.
A discreet entrance opens into unexpectedly bright interiors
MoAE's distinctive curved facade works in tandem with the external landscaping to guide visitors around the site to locate its small, discreet entrance.
The entrance opens into the ...