After a year of rumors, French architect Jean Nouvel was just selected to design Beijing’s new National Art Museum of China. The decision comes after speculation that the museum would be designed by Zaha Hadid or Frank Gehry. The new NAMOC will enliven a growing cultural district in Beijing’s Olympic Park.
The competition to design the National Art Museum of China was fierce, with Hadid’s swooping silver building and Gehry’s glass paneled design shortlisted. But Nouvel’s design, based on a single brush stroke, ended up taking the cake.
The large structure was influenced by Chinese artist Shi Tao’s quote that begins “A single line is the source of everything in existence,” Nouvel told the Financial times. This comparison is appropriate, considering that the National Art Museum of China will be dedicated to exhibitions showcasing calligraphy from China and the world at large, as well as 20th Century artworks both national and international.
Nouvel’s sweeping new structure will help to redefine the Olympic Park in the northern part of Beijing. The region is being revamped into a new cultural district, with the National Art Museum of China as the central focus.
+ Jean Nouvel
Via Arch Daily
