Burst Of Energy

A metaphor for Shenzhen’s innovative design spirit, the iadc design museum in guangdong, china is literally breaking out of the box.

- Pearlie Tan

The iADC Design Museum is China’s first professional museum for the design industry and a visual icon for the recently developed Shapu Art Town in Shenzhen’s Bao’an district.

Designed by Rocco Design Architects, a Chinese architecture practice based in Hong Kong, the minimalist white volume resembles an unfolding box; an expression of openness and the unleashing of creative energy from within this new cultural hub.

Shapu Art Town is a creative industrial cluster with a vibrant tenant mix, comprising studios, art schools and commercial areas.

The iADC Design Museum is a landmark in this new neighbourhood, linking these spaces into a unified cultural district and cementing the credentials of Shenzhen as a major destination for the arts.

Driven by a young population and well-developed manufacturing base, Shenzhen was designated a UNESCO City of Design in 2008.

Bolstered by the presence of prominent educational institutions offering diverse art and design courses, the metropolis has become an exciting base for creatives and enterprises specialising in a range of fields, from fashion and jewellery to interiors, architecture and graphic design.

A FOLDED FAÇADE

The museum is conceptually a pure box, a monolithic volume transformed via the folded planes of its façade.

Constructed from a seamless skin of interlocking aluminium panels with an undulating pattern, the articulated folds break down the rigidity of its form, peeling away from the corners of the building as it nears the ground.