New Museum Design for the Sanxingdui Site

The design of the new Sanxingdui Museum is based on “ Stacking the Three Stars, the Eyes of Ancient Shu Taking “core concept” as its guiding principle, the project dissolves its massive scale into three stacked volumes, echoing the place name “Sanxingdui.” Through expansive glass curtain walls, it creates a “Window to Ancient Shu,” symbolizing a gaze from modern architecture toward ancient civilizations. The project is by... China Southwest Architectural Design and Research Institute Design, Liu Yi Serving as the chief architect, the museum was completed and opened in July 2023. It is currently the largest single-building archaeological site museum in Southwest China.

• Total floor area: 54,400 square meters

• Exhibition area: 22,000 square meters

• Exhibited artifacts: Over 1,500 items (sets) It includes nearly 600 cultural relics making their debut.

Logical reasoning premise A (verified: The museum needs to showcase artifacts featuring prominent “eye” motifs, such as bronze masks and masks with protruding eyes) + Premise B (verified: The architect wishes to establish a dialogue between the modern and the ancient) ↓ [Reasoning process: Translate the abstract concepts of “gaze” and “dialogue” into concrete architectural formal language] Conclusion C: The building facade features massive glass curtain walls and bronze sunshades, creating the visual image of “the Eye of Ancient Shu.”
Premise D (Verified: The site was originally farmland and lacks topographical undulation) + Premise E (Verified: It is necessary to reduce the oppressive sense created by the massive volume and echo the imagery of “mounds”) ↓ [Reasoning process: Disperse the centralized volume into multiple smaller blocks that are integrated into the landscape] Conclusion F: The architecture adopts a form of three continuous sloping mounds, seamlessly integrating with the natural landscape.

Detailed Design Analysis

1. Form and Image ：

• Three winding, undulating masses simulate fragments of excavated pottery and also resemble the rising contours of the earth, ingeniously mitigating the building’s massive scale and harmoniously blending with the natural landscape of the site.

• The massive glass curtain wall on the south facade, together with the perforated bronze sunshade panels behind it, forms a profound “eye.” During the day, this “eye” gazes inward toward history; at night, it radiates golden light outward, becoming an iconic image that symbolizes the ancient Shu civilization.

2.   Space and Flow Lines ：

• The interior space revolves around “ Spacetime Spiral and Space rift Two core concepts are elaborated.

• Spacetime Spiral A massive, ring-shaped, floor-to-ceiling space creates an immersive roaming experience, guiding visitors to sense the flow and continuity of civilization as they move up and down through it.

• Space rift A linear strip of lighting running through the public area metaphorically represents the “excavation squares” of archaeological digs, effectively addressing the lighting challenges in this large-span space while also enhancing the spatial narrative.

3.   Materials and Technology ：

• The exterior wall uses Natural granite The texture is solid and substantial, mimicking the feel of loess plateaus.

• The shading system behind “The Eye of Ancient Shu” is composed of: Punched panel made of bronze Made with patterns inspired by the cultural relics from Sanxingdui, it combines cultural symbolism, sun shading and energy-saving features, as well as lighting effects.