National Museum in Zhengzhou by gmp Architekten

Zhengzhou's urban area stretches over 100 km along the south bank of the 5,000 km long Yellow River. However, the centre of this 12-million-strong metropolis is located 20 km from the river, where the modest 1,200 m² Yellow River National Museum has stood since 1955. For the new museum, however, the client chose an undeveloped wooded area within sight of the river. The S-shaped structure, designed by gmp Architekten, abstractly traces the river's meandering course. According to the architects, in terms of both content and construction, it is intended to form a bridge between nature and civilisation.

Ground floor plan, Graphic © gmp architekten 

Located at the heart of the Yellow River Natural Cultural Park, the new museum connects the surrounding green spaces to create a unified landscape. Vegetation continues onto a green roof terrace, which leads to a viewing terrace 40 m high, offering views of the river to the north and the centre of Zhengzhou to the south. At its heart, the building crosses an artificial watercourse. Here, an organically shaped atrium serves as a light well. This opening can also be used to create a water curtain. 

The green roof terrace culminates in a viewing platform 40 m high. © Marcus Bredt 

The largely uniform natural stone facade consists of prefabricated elements with vertically structured cladding. A closer look reveals what lies behind it: the public areas inside the building have glazed light slots, while the exhibition rooms are completely closed. Three large-format window openings in the northern facade provide an idiosyncratic accent. These pick up on the motif of the caves on the Yellow River, framing the view of the landscape. 

The fully glazed entrance area is located beneath the viewing platform. This area is framed by brass-clad walls and ceilings. © Marcus Bredt 

The main entrance is located opposite, to the south, under the highest point of the building. This is a completely glazed opening cut out of the building volume. Brass wall and ceiling cladding frame the opening. Inside the building, the material palette continues in a slightly modified form: rounded walls reminiscent of washed-out rock and reflective yellow ceilings guide visitors into the museum. According to gmp Architekten, the museum was structurally completed in 2023. However, it will take some time before the total exhibition space of 40,000 m² is fully furnished. An exact opening date has not yet been communicated to the architects.