Museum of Comics and Animation in Hangzhou, China, by MVRDV
The Dutch practice MVRDV has just won the commission for the Museum of Comics and Animation in Hangzhou, 180 km south of Shanghai, a city that currently has 6.7 million inhabitants. With its cluster of eight white concrete bubbles, complemented by a vast landscaped park, the practice adds another landmark to its portfolio. The brief comprises a museum, an exhibition centre and a public park, totalling 30,000 m² of floor space. Work is due to start in 2012, on a budget of €92 million.
Comics have grown considerably over the last generation and, alongside developments in computing, these activities have gradually won a readership of over 30s. The new centre is intended to unite the worlds of art and entertainment. A museum space will therefore chart the evolution of this new art form, the comic strip. The architects also had to design a 13.7-hectare park, mostly covered by water, which includes 20,000 m² of islands.
The form of the building derives from comics, and more precisely from the element that brings these stories to life: the speech bubble, which holds the text. It is also an element found in certain digital animations, such as cartoons. By juxtaposing eight bubbles, the architects create a new space for dialogue around this art form. It is a gentle, evolving dialogue, as exemplified by the spiral-shaped permanent exhibition gallery, where works are arranged chronologically.
The library, the theatres/cinemas, the education space and the entrance each form a bubble in their own right, while smaller bubbles interconnect with them to provide a circular route and temporary exhibition spaces, as well as views over the square and the park. Circulation between spaces is mainly by escalator. Once inside a bubble, visitors can choose to explore further or move on, so visits can be either short or long. The interior design was carried out in partnership with the Dutch firm Kossman.deJong, whose task was to create spaces for people of all ages in order to reach a broad audience.
Visitors will be able to take part in activities in the multimedia room and try out all manner of interactive, playful techniques related to the world of this contemporary art form. For those who wish to extend their visit to a full day, a terrace restaurant has been provided.
The iconic bubble-shaped building will not be the visitor's only draw: a series of islands will be created, and boat trips are on the programme. A 25,000 m² exhibition building will also be built, connected to the square, notably to host the CICAF, a popular comics exhibition in China. It is worth noting that the site is preparing to open a series of wave-shaped buildings containing offices, hotels and a convention centre.
Gallery
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- © MVRDV
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