Architects: MAD Location: Erdos, Inner Mongolia Director in Charge: Ma Yansong, Yosuke Hayano, Dang Qun Design team: Shang Li, Andrew C. Bryant, Howard Jiho Kim, Matthias Helmreich , Zheng Tao, Qin Lichao, Yang Lin, Sun Jieming Yin Zhao , Du Zhijian Collaborators: China Institute of Building Standard Design and Research, The Institute of Shanxi Architectural Design and Research Site Area: 27,760 sqm Constructed Area: 41,227 sqm Status: Under Construction Client: Erdos Municipal Government Images: MAD

Erdos Museum is located in a city that is currently being built, almost overnight.

Driven by a booming economy, the Municipal Government of Erdos has determined to build a new city centre, dozens of kilometers away from the current city. There was nothing but the Gobi Desert on this site in 2005. An urban masterplan was created, entitled ‘Ever Rising Sun On The Grass Land’. This plan drew a beautiful but empty image, one which fulfills the wishes of the government, but doesn’t hold much for the people who will have to live there.

Erdos Museum will be created at the centre of this new city. Our concept is a reflection and a reaction to the masterplan. The design is a natural, irregular nucleus, to contrast with the planned city; to provide interior scenery completely separate to that which is outside. The museum is wrapped in reflective metal louvers. The surface of the museum thus reflects and fragments the surroundings.

The interior will become a new public space, divided into several exhibition halls, connected by continuous white curvilinear walls. The glazed roof will let light into this space, whilst the louvers will allow natural ventilation.