Qujing History Museum
China’s newest museum houses the world’s oldest fish fossil pre-dating 40 million years! Designed by the young and upcoming architecture firm Atelier Alter which specializes in design of cultural centers, the Qujing History Museum is located in the Qujing district of the Yunnan province in South-West China. Constructed within a span of about 5 years with a total construction cost of about 88$ per square foot, the museum covers a total area of about 202,361.5 square feet. The museum completed in 2015 has now been opened to visitors.
Courtesy of Atelier Alter
A first glance at the anti-gravity spaceship like external form of the building would betray its true intention of being a Museum for History. However, this form has been pretty much inspired by the Longyan tablet, which is the first ever known invention of the Calligraphic style of writing, and is also housed within the museum.
Courtesy of Atelier Alter
Although the helm appears heavy and unstable from the outside, it is actually well supported on steel sections. On the inside, the Museum follows a closed planning system, where visitors once entering through the central space can disperse and travel directly to the exhibit of their interest, following a walk path of their choice.
Courtesy of Atelier Alter
BY: Priyanka Shah
