New photos have been released of Pritzker Prize-winning architect Tadao Ando's cylindrical He Art Museum, which has reached completion in Guangdong, China.
The He Art Museum, otherwise known as HEM, is made from a stack of staggered, concrete disks that wrap around a pair of sweeping helical staircases at its centre.
It was designed by Ando as a landmark for the region and is one of the five projects shortlisted for cultural building of the year for Dezeen Awards 2020.
Two helical staircases wrap around the courtyard
"I hope HEM will become a new cultural landmark in the Canton region, at the same time, a meeting point and a harmonious space for all," said Ando. "I imagined HEM as an energetic central anchor point to all the artistic and regional custom, climate, landscape and civilisation in Lingnan."
The helical staircases frame an oculus that brings natural light inside
As the new photos reveal, the stack of concrete discs that make up the museum run from the ground floor to the fourth and are enveloped by a vertically slatted facade.
They encompass an area of 16,000 square metres and contain 8000 square metres of exhibition space, alongside a cafe and bookshop.
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