Following an international landscape design competition, HASSELL has been engaged by Nanjing Tangshan Construction Investment and Development Company to deliver the public realm for the Fangshan Tangshan National Geopark Museum. Located 40 kilometres east of Nanjing, the Museum’s 15 hectares of public open space occupies a geologically significant area within the national park and is the site of some of China’s most important archaeological discoveries.
The design proposal was required to simultaneously cater for the tourist park’s combination of commercial interests, while respecting and celebrating its exceptional natural, historical and cultural qualities. It needed to provide a harmonious, contemporary forecourt for the new national museum, as well as a large-scale, gateway parkland that is clearly linked and integrated with the wider geopark and surrounding urban context.
The HASSELL design honours the international importance of the site. The new museum forecourt and parkland will recreate the experience of exploration and discovery, offering a journey through a series of themed landscapes embedded with interpretive narratives of the major archaeological features of the region, including the nearby Nanjing ‘Ape-man’ Caves.
Through a multidisciplinary approach, the HASSELL team has optimised the site’s existing topography to establish seamless patterns of movement and access between the public and private functions within, as well as integrating the park’s design with the surrounding transport infrastructure. Together with a range of environmentally conscious inclusions; such as the creation of micro-ecosystems to foster specific plant growth and a cleansing waterway to treat site run-off, these initiatives will support the sustainable development and future operation of the park.
The Museum is one of a number of public realm projects that HASSELL is currently undertaking in the rapidly expanding Nanjing region. It is scheduled for completion by August 2014, when the city will host the Youth Olympic Games.
Beyond the games, the Fangshan Tangshan National Geopark Museum and surrounds promise to be a beacon for local and international tourism, offering a fascinating and informative experience for all who visit.
Fangshan Tangshan National Geopark Museum | Nanjing China | HASSELL
IMAGE CREDIT | HASSELL
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