Beijing Capital museum

Located along the east-west axis cutting through Tiananmen Square in front of the Forbidden City, the Beijing museum of history is a major cultural facility that relates 5000 years of history within a contemporary building. Set back from the avenue, the building affirms its institutional significance and educational role. Contained under a large horizontal roof, it is organized in a manner similar to that of a Chinese palace, with its pavilions distributed within a rectangular enclosure closed off by a stone wall. Each volume has its own specific functions. The permanent and temporary exhibitions are displayed in the timber-clad box, and the multimedia library, research center, and offices are located in the grey stone strip forming the rear elevation. The angled cylinder breaking through the main elevation contains the treasure room, which holds the most precious collections. All these elements are placed over a functional base grouping together the museum services in the basement level and forming a covered square on ground level. Structurally separated from the walls, the generous roof allows daylight to enter deeply into the building, creating a filter to avoid any dazzling effect. All the materials make reference to traditional architecture and are finely worked: matched grey stone from Mongolia, jointed cedar wood and chased bronze inspired by ancient history for the cylindrical form. Cultural heritage is fully assumed and traditional Chinese architecture revisited, combining interiors and exteriors, arrangement and freedom, monumentality and intimacy