The Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art by Danish studio BIG, engineering firm Arts Group and architecture studio Front has topped out in China, with curved metal roofs designed as a "fifth facade".
Located on Jinji Lake near the Suzhou Ferris Wheel, images of the museum's construction progress show a series of tiered buildings connected by swooping metal roof planes.
The Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art has topped out in China
"Against the open space of the lake, the gentle catenary curvature of the roofs forms a graceful silhouette on the waterfront," said BIG founder Bjarke Ingels.
"Its nodular logic only becomes distinctly discernible when viewed from the [ferris wheel] gondolas above," he continued. "The stainless roof tiles form a true fifth facade." Curving roof planes connect the museum spaces
Aiming to combine art and nature, the museum was designed by BIG in collaboration with Arts Group and Front as a series of pavilions that connect indoor and outdoor spaces.
Once complete, the curving roof will create sheltered walkways through gardens populated with artworks and water features. According to BIG, the design was informed by corridors typical of traditional láng gardens in Suzhou.
Its dynamic roof was designed to be best viewed from the nearby ferris wheel
The museum's facades will feature rippled, curved glass panes with warm-toned stainless-steel elements designed to reflect outdoor gardens.
"Our design for the Suzho...