MAD Architects unveiled the design for a new museum in the city of Harbin for traditional Chinese wood sculpture. As the primary urban and industrial hub in northeastern China, Harbin is redefining itself as a regional center for the arts and culture.

Inspired by the local winter landscapes, the museum is a contrast between the elegance of nature and the rush of daily life. The 200 meter long body is shaped as a frozen fluid that reflects and explores the relation between the building and the environment.

The interior is divided into two exhibition halls connected by a central entrance, allowing the differing themes of the exhibitions to achieve symbiosis. Skylights flood sunlight into the voids adjacent to the galleries, creating optimum viewing conditions and scenic moments in and around the building.

MAD has been commissioned for three major cultural projects in Harbin, with designs for an opera house and a cultural center also currently underway.

For more project information, please see MAD works - China Wood Sculpture Museum