Talk to the sea! An art museum hidden in the dunes

Text by MOOK Scenic Spots / Photos by Wu Qingshan, Nanney_ArchDaily
 
An art museum hidden in the dunes allows people to immerse themselves between art and nature, and talk to the sea.

Located on the coast of Qinhuangdao, China, the UCCA Dune Art Museum was designed by the Open Architecture firm. The museum is built beneath the dunes, which have been shaped over the years by sea winds into several-meter-high mounds covered with low shrubs.

The architectural design conceals the art museum between the sea and the dunes. Its simple yet aesthetic form allows visitors to return to a primal spatial experience within the building, evoking reverence and a sense of protection for nature.

The museum’s irregular shape creates a rich variety of spaces, including galleries of various sizes, a café, observation decks, and skylight openings, ensuring every corner of the museum holds a surprise.

The building’s many irregular openings allow visitors to sense the changing nature outside from within, while also drawing natural light into the interior, creating magical plays of light and shadow.