Situated on a highland in the southwest corner of Tanggu Slow Flash Park in Mentougou, Beijing, the Tianguang Art Museum serves as a key destination within the park. This museum hosts a variety of art exhibitions and events, acting as one of the main endpoints for visitors. Slow Flash Park itself is an innovative public space that integrates diverse functions through small public buildings and installations scattered throughout the area, creating an array of outdoor environments suitable for cultural and commercial activities.
The museum’s design is composed of several geometric volumes, each fulfilling distinct functions. The lower half of the folded façade forms a continuous bench, while breaks in the fold create entry and exit points. Towering pyramid-shaped windows serve as light wells, channeling daylight into the entrance area and acting as prominent landmarks visible both inside and outside the park. The building is divided into two main sections: the primary exhibition hall and a reception area for the adjacent hotel on the north side. The zigzagging façade, inspired by the curve of a lounge chair, integrates urban furniture into the building’s exterior, offering a full-length seating area complemented by a small plaza in front of the entrance—providing visitors with a welcoming space for rest and social interaction.
At the top of the building, two large sloped skylights are positioned on the east and west sides, corresponding to the reception area and the exhibition hall entrance, respectively. These spaces feature high ceilings that allow abundant sunlight to flood the interiors. Additionally, the central exhibition hall boasts a grid-shaped skylight that nearly covers the entire roof area. Each grid contains a hyperbolic diffuse reflector designed to evenly disperse natural light, creating a soft and uniform illumination throughout the space.
As an art museum, controlling the amount of natural light entering the interior is crucial depending on the exhibits displayed. This design does not simply block external light but incorporates an advanced skylight system that channels excess light from the ground and walls into the skylights. This system serves as a dynamic gallery interface, varying in pattern, color temperature, and intensity, while maintaining a visual connection to the sky. This approach preserves natural cues such as time and weather within the indoor environment. For example, simulations conducted on a sunny autumn equinox day show that the hyperbolic reflector system provides more uniform lighting with softer shadows and comfortable intensity, effectively reducing glare. The modular reflector system acts as a filter, minimizing harsh light and ensuring consistent, soft illumination throughout most of the day.
On overcast days and during evening hours, artificial lighting supplements the exhibition hall’s illumination. The lighting system employs grouped and cascading controls to provide a smooth transition from natural daylight to nighttime lighting. This system includes skylight lighting that enhances the hyperbolic reflectors, serrated skylight supplementary lighting, and track lighting suitable for both 2D and 3D exhibits. Besides reflecting indoor light, the skylight lighting accentuates the hyperbolic shape of the reflectors, enriching the spatial experience within the exhibition hall.
The hyperbolic reflector is constructed from six straight edges, corresponding to the diagonals of the six faces of the skylight frame unit. This custom-designed reflector panel is made of finished GRG material and is mounted diagonally to the skylight frame structure.
The Tianguang Art Museum creates a distinctive public landmark through the fusion of abstract geometric forms. By implementing varied skylight treatments tailored to internal functions and integrating furniture-inspired façade design, it actively engages with the public spaces of Slow Flash Park.
Project Drawings
△ Aerial view
△ Location map
△ Site plan
△ Floor plan
△ Elevation
△ Elevation
△ Section
△ Section
△ Partial section view
△ Axial side view
△ Analysis chart
△ Analysis chart
△ Analysis chart
△ Analysis chart
Project Information
Architect: Zhongzhu Architecture
Area: 300 m²
Project Year: 2021
Photographers: Zhu Yumeng, Various Buildings
Original Slow Flash Park Architecture, Master Planning, and Full Stack Control: Zhou Rong
Design Leads: He Zhe, James Shen, Zang Feng
Design Team: Yang Quanyue, Tang Yanni, Wen Hao
Structural Engineering: Beijing Shouang Architectural Structure Studio, Liu Su
Lighting Design: Zhang Xin Studio, School of Architecture, Tsinghua University
Drafting: Yuan Yingzi, Yang Quanyue, Zhang Hongdou
Client: Beijing Investment Development Co., Ltd.
Design Period: April to September 2021
Completion Date: December 2021
Landscape Design: Fangmusheng Landscape Design (Beijing) Co., Ltd.
Location: Beijing, China
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