The Opening of the Forbidden City in Hong Kong | Yan Xunqi's pro-solution design echoes the Forbidden City, which is comparable to the Louvre Museum

The Hong Kong Palace Museum, located in the West Kowloon Cultural District, is expected to open in July this year.

This new cultural landmark designed by well-known Hong Kong architect Yan Xunqi combines traditional and modern appearance and style, echoing the red walls, yellow tiles and blue sky of the Forbidden City from a distance; The axis is pure.

In an exclusive interview, Yan Xunqi said that land constraints and time constraints are the two major challenges of the project, and he needs to take into account the natural integration with the surrounding environment. He hopes that the audience will enjoy it, and he hopes that the Hong Kong Palace Museum can be comparable to world-class museums such as the Louvre Museum. .

Back then, the Hong Kong government directly hired him as a design consultant without bidding, which caused controversy for a time. Looking back at the past turmoil, he reiterated his explanatory note of "a clear conscience", and pointed out that he would regard criticism as a driving force, while subjective opinions or misunderstandings were left to the table. Proof of time.

【Hong Kong Palace Museum Opening Series No. 5】

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Yan Xunqi said that the Forbidden City in Beijing is already an exhibit of cultural relics, while the Forbidden City in Hong Kong is a display of modern architecture, and he hopes that the audience can feel the subtle splendor and grace conveyed in it.

(Photo by O Jiale)

The Hong Kong Palace Museum, located on the waterfront of Victoria Harbour, is a collection of ingenious ideas inside and outside. The building shape is like a square cauldron. The building is dominated by the colors of the Forbidden City buildings, and then embellished with beige, dark red and cool gray.

Walking into the main entrance of the museum, it echoes with the red wall of the Forbidden City, and the classic vermilion comes into view instantly.

Unwilling to mold the image of the Forbidden City to present the traditional way

Yan Xunqi said that the Forbidden City in Beijing is already an exhibit of cultural relics, while the Forbidden City in Hong Kong is a display of modern buildings. Therefore, the design is always intended to not be antique, and there is no "reverse model" of the roof of the Forbidden City. Instead, the traditional atmosphere is presented in an image manner.

The appearance of the building is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, and has both functions and meanings. In addition to taking into account the needs of curatorial exhibitions, "I also hope to arouse associations. Many cultural relics have the same shape, such as vases and tripods."

He also revealed that he had studied several schemes, including box-like, geometric shapes, etc., but in the end he liked the current version, "this one is the most coherent, concise, and most symbolic." He also mentioned that he had visited the Forbidden City in Beijing. Four or five times, including reference to management and exhibits, etc.; I have also visited the National Palace Museum and the National Palace Museum in Taipei, but the former was not included in the scope of reference due to its age.

The Hong Kong Palace Museum, located in the West Kowloon Cultural District, is expected to open in July this year.

(Photo by Liang Pengwei)

The Forbidden City is famous for its central axis layout, while the Hong Kong Palace Museum has developed it into the sky. Yan Xunqi explained that due to the land problem in Hong Kong, it was decided to extend vertically upwards to present a sense of spatial sequence with height. If you can see it, you have to explore it step by step.” He also said that museums with several floors are not common. “It’s easy to use the exhibition to see the exhibition, and the audience generally doesn’t want to go up and down.” Therefore, the design thought needs to be added. .

Enjoy the skyline of Victoria Harbour overlooking Lantau Island

He mentioned that the stairs of the Pompidou Center in Paris are exposed, and the street view can be seen in the distance. The Hong Kong Palace Museum creates a visiting experience with a sense of layering. It is distributed in the atriums on different floors, facing east, south and west. You can go back and enjoy the scenery of the West Kowloon Cultural District, the skyline of Victoria Harbour and Lantau Island, and you can also take a break between the exhibition halls. , stay with me and continue to look at the others."

He also bluntly stated that the biggest advantage of Hong Kong is the city itself. It has a unique texture. Although the buildings are compact, they are friendly and user-friendly. In the Palace Museum, the atrium also occupies a small area, "but the scale of the people is just right." He added It is hoped that the audience can feel the subtle gorgeousness and grace in it.

The atrium ceiling in the museum uses modern techniques to interpret the glazed tiles on the roof of the Forbidden City. From a distance, it looks like a bamboo curtain and a light gauze.

(Photo by Liang Pengwei)

The dark brown stains on the outer walls are not old lacquer. Yan Xunqi pointed out that the Japanese-made material "weathering steel" is specially used, and its special feature is that it will oxidize with time and climate. A kind of baptism of years." (Photo by Liang Pengwei)

Looking up, you can also see the ingenuity.

The atrium ceiling in the museum uses modern techniques to interpret the glazed tiles on the roof of the Forbidden City. From a distance, it looks like a bamboo curtain and a light gauze.

The dark brown stains on the outer walls are not old lacquer. Yan Xunqi pointed out that the Japanese-made material "weathering steel" is specially used, and its special feature is that it will oxidize with time and climate. A baptism of age."

"Conversation" with M+

Whether it is the Government Headquarters known as "the door is always open", the International Financial Center in Central, and the Yunnan Provincial Museum in the Mainland, Yan Xunqi's architectural design emphasizes the organic integration with the surrounding environment, and the same is true for the Hong Kong Palace Museum.

"Architecture cannot isolate itself, it needs to connect and communicate with the surrounding." However, the Palace Museum preserves precious cultural relics, and based on security needs, "it can't hide the chicken coop, it must be a confined space." The public space outside the Forbidden City just plays the role of reconciliation. There is an outdoor theater in the north, and an art park outside the museum. The large green lawn extends to M+. The two museums sway each other.

In addition to geographic constraints, time constraints were also a major challenge for the project.

The construction of the Hong Kong Palace Museum was completed in December 2016. It took nearly five years from conceptual design to near completion. Yan Xunqi mentioned that the construction of the museum generally takes at least seven to eight years. This time is an exception. schedule.

Reviewing Direct Appointments: A Clear Conscience

When asked about the fact that the Hong Kong government directly hired him as a design consultant without bidding, which then caused political turmoil, he pointed out that he is most concerned about whether the audience will enjoy it after the opening of the museum. It’s just a ‘clear conscience’.” As for how to deal with criticism?

He frankly pointed out that whether it is the Eiffel Tower in Paris or the pyramids in Egypt, he has also experienced criticism, "Criticism is always there for architects, I will regard criticism as a driving force, if it is a subjective opinion or misunderstanding, I will wait for time to prove it, I believe will stand the test.”

▼In May 2022, the interior design of the Hong Kong Palace Museum will be exposed▼

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▼The construction progress of the Hong Kong Palace Museum in April 2022▼

▼The construction progress of the Hong Kong Palace Museum in November 2020▼

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