The Zhou Yao Insect Museum, named after Professor Zhou Yao, is currently the largest insect museum in Asia named after an individual. Originally founded in 1996, it has now been relocated to Yinzhou Park, known as the “urban green lung” of Ningbo. The museum’s area has expanded significantly, from 500 square meters to over 3,000 square meters.
Serving both as a thematic museum and a tribute to a notable figure, the original site faced challenges such as outdated facilities, limited exhibition space, and a monotonous exhibition format. The new location addresses these issues by creating a public platform that combines exhibition, education, social interaction, and immersive natural experiences. The design also harmonizes with the surrounding ecological environment, offering an enhanced public space for the city.
Design Concept: Inspired by the origin of butterflies, the symbiotic design concept centers around the motif of “butterflies.” Drawing from ancient Chinese depictions of butterfly forms found in the museum’s collection, the design uses the “butterfly triangle” as its prototype. This chamfered triangle shape, symbolizing butterfly wings, drives both the form and layout of the building. Additionally, a parameterized gradient-colored glazed curtain wall replicates the delicate, translucent, and elegant texture of insect wings.
Functional Layout: Vertical Connectivity and Seamless Integration
The architecture is designed to respond to local site conditions, with spatial organization shaped by the environment. The design emphasizes the functional attributes of a compact building by integrating exhibition spaces within the building and public spaces that open up to the surrounding environment. This layout encourages interaction with nature.
On the floor plan, various functional areas are arranged systematically using butterfly triangle shapes of varying sizes. A one-meter elevation difference between the road and the park creates a semi-outdoor performance area on the building’s north side, accessible by steps. This design offers visitors both indoor and outdoor experiences.
Facade Design: The building’s facade is lightweight and finely detailed, maximizing ground floor space while creating a dynamic visual presence. By leveraging height variations, the design forms a three-dimensional butterfly triangle, featuring two raised traffic areas on either side — the entrance hall and Butterfly Valley.
The city-facing facade is light, elegant, and rhythmic, establishing a distinctive urban identity. Meanwhile, the side facing the waterfront resembles a graceful dance, integrating the building seamlessly with the park and serving as a stage within the green space.
The facade’s white glazed glass creates a soft and understated atmosphere, forming a rhythmic pattern that plays with gradient variations in the skin units. This effect replicates the delicate texture of insect wings. Through precise parametric design, curtain wall components and partitions blend seamlessly into the glazed patterns, achieving a clean and elegant facade.
Project Drawings
△ Location Map
△ First Floor Plan
△ Second Floor Plan
△ Elevation Drawing
△ Section Diagram
△ Axonometric Diagram
△ Shape Generation
△ Streamline Analysis
Analysis of Curtain Wall Patterns
Project Information
Architect: Shanghai Bingren Architectural Firm, Floor Building Workshop
Area: 2,986 m²
Project Year: 2022
Photographer: Existence of Architecture, Quan Zhang
Manufacturers: Ningbo Jianghua Glass Technology Co., Ltd., Guangdong Jianlang Hardware Products Co., Ltd., Fangda New Materials (Jiangxi) Co., Ltd.
General Manager of Architectural Design: Ma Qingzhen
Lead Architect: Xu Zhenpeng
Design Team: Zhao Ying, Huang Zixuan, Guo Wenyu, Zhou Yaying, Jiang Sheng, Lin Caixuan, Xu Rongrong
Principal: Ningbo Yincheng Group Co., Ltd
Construction Drawing Design: Ningbo Urban Construction Design and Research Institute Co., Ltd
Curtain Wall Design: Zhejiang University Architectural Design and Research Institute Co., Ltd
Interior Design: Shanghai Fengyuzhu Culture Technology Co., Ltd
Location: Ningbo, China
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