Shiny Serpentine Jeongok Prehistory Museum in Korea Now Complete

They may look like incredible renderings, but apparently these are the real pictures of the now complete <a href="http://www.jgpm.or.kr/" target="_blank">Jeongok Prehistory Museum</a> in Korea. Designed by French firm, <a href="http://www.x-tu.com/01.html" target="_blank">X-TU Architects</a>, the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/lavas-home-of-the-future-is-a-neon-geodesic-plant-filled-bubble/">super futuristic</a>, chrome-coated museum seems at odds with the exhibitions on prehistoric <a href="http://inhabitat.com/un-studios-korean-mall-kinetic-translucent-skin/">Korea</a>, but could be viewed as a sort of time capsule to explore early man. The long and skinny museum snakes around the natural topography of the site and a double wall system maintains a constant and energy efficient interior.

The new museum is located at the Paleolithic site in the Jeongok district, where the first Acheulian handaxe was discovered in East Asia.

Even though it seems like a space-ship, the museum's design largely references early man and his connection to the land and the nearby river.

The tubular, stainless steel building burrows into the ground and spans a rift in the ground.

A pattern of perforations on the exterior mimics the skin texture of snakes and the shiny exterior is designed to reflect back the surroundings. At night light shines out through the perforations.

Inside, the museum features a continuous loop of exhibitions, education and activity spaces which are conceived as open landscapes to recreate the scenes of early man

Outside, the landscape has been restored to the original state as a natural riverside park.

The exterior of the museum is a perforated metal double wall that includes double wall includes glazings and solar protections designed to protect the interior from the heat.

The museum focuses on themes in the natural history of the Chugaryeong rift valley, and features fossil skeleton models of human evolution, human and animal adaptations to the environment, and restoration of cave paintings.

Even the interior is futuristic in its shapes, colors and textures, which has the aim of highlighting the exhibitions.

An island exhibition showing off early man.

Perforations allow in natural daylighting along with large floor to ceiling windows, all of which can be controlled according to the needs of the exhibition

Besides exhibition spaces the museum also features a cafeteria, lecture room, and a multimedia laboratory.

Recently completed, the new museum is holding its opening celebrations on April 25th.