Hong Kong-based architectural firm 10 Design recently unveiled their design for a landmark green urban planning museum in northeast China that will set the standard for a citywide overhaul. The master plan will later include a library, scientific center, and a teenage recreation hall – and each building will showcase the latest in sustainable technology and design. Located at the heart of the main governmental district, the planning museum features a smoothly sculpted facade that reflects the surrounding city and landscape. Inspired by nautical elements in the coastal town, the building’s curved swooping roof and twisting facade resemble a crashing wave (or even a large whale), and the museum’s photovoltaic cell-powered UV lights glow aquamarine at night.
Hong Kong-based architectural firm 10 Design is quickly becoming a big name in modern green architecture. The firm has been very busy with their recently completed tornado-proof home, and they received a slew of architectural awards last year.
10 Design’s urban planning museum features a facade of zinc rain screens that are covered with a photocatalytic nano-coating of Titanium Dioxide – this gives the outer surface a rich sheen while protecting it from pollution. This heavy-duty self-cleaning combination quickly removes dirt and prevents surface damage while minimizing outdoor maintenance costs for years.
The inner aluminum facade is also protected by a special polymer coating that increases insulation and prevents water and fungus build up. The architects also capitalized on passive heating and cooling by minimizing the east and west facades and pulling all entryways away from the northern winds. The government hopes this premiere project will inspire green ideas and further sustainable designs in the city.
+ 10 Design
