Chinese design firm ARCHSTUDIO has converted a decaying pharmaceutical factory in Zi Bo, China, into the Great Wall Museum of Fine Art, dedicated to contemporary works. It’s a great way to revitalize a dead spot in the city, promote art and its power to change reality, and pay homage to the building’s origins.
The original factory had a decentralized nature, and ARCHSTUDIO decided to play with the design by blurring the divisions between interior and exterior. A translucent hallway connects the inside and outside of the museum, effectively transforming the cold, industrial look into an open, inviting, contemporary one, as well as doubling as a multi-purpose space enclosing the bookstore, art studios, tea room, and discussion room.
ARCHSTUDIO also decided to retian some of the original factory’s characteristics, such as its exposed concrete columns complete with crumbling plaster, and highlighting them with contemporary display walls and lighting. All-in-all, the design’s goal was to encourage a meeting between the visitors and the artistic environment, and it has achieved that and more.
