UCCA Dune Art Museum

Project implementation: China
Project development: China

Building in Nature
Hidden underneath a dune by Bohai Bay, Dune Art Museum designed by OPEN Architecture returns to primal and timeless forms of space and directly responds to its ocean front site with a delicate ecosystem.

When asked to design a building along the shore, the architects of OPEN immediately knew this was a rare opportunity. They had been deeply concerned about the careless acts of wiping out dunes for ocean-view real estate developments that frequently happened in China at the time, fully aware of how critical dunes are to the environment.

The decision to build the museum into the dune was therefore deliberate. Because the very existence of the museum, this stretch of dune is ultimately preserved instead of destroyed for real-estate. After the structure was completed, sand was restored atop the building envelope, local shrubs and trees were replanted. The building was opened in October, and by the following June—just one winter and spring later—the plants had fully grown back. The museum had since effectively “disappeared” into a seamless coexistence with nature.

Here, the conscious act of building becomes protection rather than destruction, indicating a different mindset in climate practices and architectural engagement with nature.

Enveloped by sand, the museum’s interconnected, organically shaped galleries draw inspiration from natural caves. A series of cell-like contiguous spaces accommodate differently-sized galleries, a café, and some ancillary spaces. Openings frame views of the shifting sky and sea, allowing visitors to experience the landscape as part of the architecture.

The building’s many skylights, each with a different orientation and size, provide carefully calibrated natural light throughout the year. Its sand-covered roof greatly reduces heat load, while a low-energy, zero-emission ground source heat pump system replaces traditional air conditioning.
About OPEN:

OPEN is an architecture office that collaborates across different disciplines to practice architectural, urban, landscape, and interior design. We also research and develop design strategies in the context of unprecedented challenges facing our generation and beyond.

OPEN was founded by LI Hu and HUANG Wenjing in New York City. It established its Beijing office in 2008. Some major projects by OPEN include: Sun Tower, Shanfeng Academy, Chapel of Sound, Shanghai Qingpu Pinghe International School, UCCA Dune Art Museum, Tank Shanghai, Pingshan Performing Arts Center, Tsinghua Ocean Center, Garden School/Beijing No.4 High School Fangshan Campus, and Gehua Youth and Cultural Center.

Participate in the program of debates, workshops and associated activities!

TODAY (10.10)

2:30 pm – table Risk-Free Periphery in the Context of Climate Change

4pm – table Knowing to Transform: Community Climate Risk Reduction and Adaptation Plans

6:30 pm – table Inclusive Adaptation: Nature-Based Solutions in the Peripheries

9am – Drawing Workshop: Oscar Niemeyer's Architecture in Ibirapuera Park and the Climate Challenge

IN THE NEXT DAYS (11 to 14.10)

ATTENTION the table Palmas: For 36 years, the ecological capital of Tocantins which would be held on 10/11 | 7pm was canceled.

11.10 and 12.10 | 9am – workshop Inventa(rio) Fronteiras: Playing for Multispecies Cities

11.10 | 10am – workshop Elémenterre teaching bag

11.10 | 11am – table Learning to inhabit the Anthropocene: the crisis of architecture

11.10 | 2pm – table Architecture for Learning and Civic Use

11.10 | 3pm – table Culture and Public Architecture

11.10 – 15h – workshop Elémenterre teaching bag

11.10 | 4pm – table Reconnecting with Nature & Circular Design

11.10 | 5pm – table Architecture of Belonging: Interpreting Heritage Through Place

12.10 | 10am – table Experience: Climate Refuges and Naturalized Public Spaces, with Eco-Neighborhood

12.10 | 10:30 am – table Childhoods and Climate: Climate Justice in Vulnerable Territories

12.10 | 10:30 am – Windsock Workshop with the Floating Collective

12.10 | 3pm – table Doing a lot with a little: architectures for a planet in transition with Esteban Benavides from Al Borde office

12.10 | 4:30 pm – table Earth – building a sustainable and democratic future

12.10 | 5:45 pm – table French presence at the Biennale and screening of the film AJAP – Albums of Young Architects and Landscape Architects

13.10 – activity Pantanal Action at IABsp

10/14 | 10am – table Urgent Panorama! Space as an act of permanence

14.10 | 6pm – Launch of the “Nature-Based Education” Guide

JOIN! IT'S ALL FREE!

And there's much more until October 19th!

NOTE OF CONDOLENCE

With deep sorrow, the Brazilian Institute of Architects – São Paulo Department (IABsp) mourns the passing of architect and landscape architect Kongjian Yu, a global leader in ecological urbanism, and the members of his team who accompanied him, tragically killed during the filming of a documentary. The institute is honored to have had him as a participant in the 14th São Paulo International Architecture Biennial, where his transformative vision strengthened the dialogue between global challenges and local realities. IABsp emphasizes that Yu's contribution, which transcends borders, will remain an inspiration for generations and expresses its condolences to China, to the families of all the deceased, to his friends, and to all those impacted by his genius and dedication. Read the full note here.

OPEN Architecture | LI Hu + HUANG Wenjing