Architecture firm Büro Ole Scheeren has unveiled the Róng Museum of Art, a new cultural landmark in Shenzhen's Nanshan District.
Dedicated to digital and visual culture of the 20th and 21st century, the new museum's collections will span art, architecture, design, film, performance and digital media.
Per a press release, the museum is named after the Chinese character 'Róng', which evokes symbiosis, coexistence and integration.
Commissioned by Ma Huateng, the founder of technology company Tencent, the Róng Museum of Art will be led by founding director Pi Li.
It will be the cornerstone of the Houhai Hybrid Campus, also designed by Ole Scheeren, which integrates residences, offices, retail and a hotel.
"What is significant is that the founder of Tencent, one of China’s most successful innovation businesses, is using his company’s position at the forefront of China’s tech industry to open new ground for culture and urban development," said Scheeren.
"From the very beginning, we worked closely to define a museum and overall complex that is not only a showcase, but a symbiotic urban and ecological statement with big tech as a central cultural patron."
The Róng Museum of Art comprises a total of 4,500 square metres, 2,300 square metres of which will be dedicated to gallery space.
It will house extensive educational facilities, including a major public art library, workshops, spaces for lectures and screenings, as well as culture-focused retail and F&B outlets.
"Around the world, most tech environments are relentlessly self‑focused," Scheeren added.
"Here, the ambition is to chart a different path by investing in public space, cultural venues and education, and to use economic success to underwrite a deeper, more generous engagement with the city and wider society."
The building's design, Scheeren said, has "a distinctive and magical appearance that creates a sense of curiosity, especially amongst the younger generation".
"The whole project was conceived as a cross-cultural interactive experience, with a very focused exhibition space and programme at its core, but with many more ways to engage with culture and architecture,” he said.
The Róng Museum of Art is currently under construction, with its opening to the public scheduled for 2027.
Earlier this year, Chinese e-commerce and technology company JD.com announced plans for the new JD Museum, also located in Shenzhen.
Images courtesy of Büro Ole Scheeren
