After three years in construction, the Shenzhen International Museum of Art (SIMoA) opened on May 30 in Shenzhen, South China’s Guangdong Province.
The structure, built by China Construction First Group Corporation Limited, a subsidiary of China State Construction Engineering Corporation, is one of the city’s crucial cultural facilities in the new era.
The SIMoA is committed to showcasing art exhibits from around the world in a bid to advance communication between the Eastern and Western cultures and promote artistic creation in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
The Shenzhen International Museum of Art (SIMoA) is expected to be an international art exchange hub in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
The museum, located in Guangming District, has an international-standard exhibition hall, a lecture hall, an art documentation center and two theaters — one indoor and the other outdoor. With such a diverse range of functional areas, it can serve as a venue for academic research, public education and art exhibition and collection, as well as international art exchanges.
The grand, modern gate is attractive to tourists around the world. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
The SIMoA's appearance has been described as resembling two neighboring boats, symbolizing the harmonious development of Eastern and Western cultures.
The entire steel structure weighs 16,400 metric tons, with a 165-ton giant beam elevated dozens of meters for successful installation.
The comprehensive art exhibition and exchange place was a labor-intensive and complicated project for the builders. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
The construction team adopted a hydraulic synchronous lifting technique to smoothly complete the steel structure of the museum. They employed carbon-fiber cable curtain walls on the museum, a pioneering undertaking in China, to achieve the ultimate aesthetic effect. Three-dimensional modeling technology also enabled builders to experiment with cable performance in the wind, so as to work out the best installation plan.
External wall reflects sunlight, shining and secure. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
The “Moon Gate” in the SIMoA’s lobby is composed of hundreds of metal cables and acrylic panels, simulating the waxing and waning phases of the moon under changing light and shadow.
During the construction, technicians of the construction team collaborated closely with designers to precisely calculate the tension of each cable and the angle of each panel, so as to ensure the overall coordination of all elements.
The museum is a testament to the idea that advanced techniques are sometimes an irrefutable guarantee of the art.
An interior view of the museum. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
(Executive editor: Zuo Shihan)
