Located in Songzhuang, Beijing China, Tree art museum lies beside the main road of the area. The original village has vanished, replaced by big scale blocks which better fit for cars. Even if renowned as an artist village, it’s difficult to stay or enjoy art exploration without local artist friend’s introducing. So, the first idea was to create an ambient, a public space where people would like to stay, date and communicate.

I hope people might be attracted into the museum by the view at the entrance. Their eyes would follow the curvy floor slab coming from the ground all the way up to the roof. People could choose to get into space either through the ramp or the courtyard with a pool and tree on the first floor. The sky is reflected onto the ground, with reflecting pool together, helping people to filter their mind and forget the environment out there.       
 
The first courtyard was separated with the main road and dust outside by a bare-concrete wall. People would stay and chat under the tree in the courtyard, or, just feed fishes by the reflecting pool. Meanwhile, they could enjoy artworks and watch other people lingering inside the building through the curtain wall. In the bare-concrete wall, there is a corridor which could be utilized to exhibit books and small sculptures. The curvature varies slightly along the path.    

The second courtyard introduces natural light to the back exhibition hall and meeting room on the 2nd floor while separating the public and privacy needed. The curvy wall implies people to the other side of the building and introduces them to come to the public stairs-plaza on the roof, where people could enjoy the sunshine and have a break, or look down to the pool.  

There are six and a half courtyards on 2,695 square meters site. Besides the two bigger ones for the exhibition, there are four more courtyards lying on the upper part. Two yards apply sunlight to the backspace and introduce skylight to the exhibition hall below. The other two yards are on the top of the floor, which also open to the sky.  

By taking real and pure expression, this project hopes to create a place where local people and visitors would communicate with natural light, trees, water, and contemporary art. This simple and plain idea will spread out through their experience.


Project title: Tree Art Museum
Location: Song Zhuang, Beijing, China
Height: 18.78 m
No. of floors: Exhibition part: 2 stories, Function part: 5 stories
Building Area: 3,200 ㎡
Site area: 2,695 ㎡
Client: Chinese Contemporary Art Development Foundation
Design Architect: Daipu Architects
Director: Dai Pu
Design Team: Dai Pu, Feng Jing, Liu Yi
Structural Engineer: Huang Shuangxi.
Water Engineer: Lei Ming
Mechanical Engineer: Wang Gepeng
Electrical Engineer: Wang Xiang
Curtain Consultant: Beijing Doorwin Decoration Co, Ltd
Photographer：Shu He, Xia Zhi
Design:  2009.11
Construction:  2010.11 - 2012.09

Awards:
2018 World Architecture Community WA Awards
2014 40 Under 40, Perspective Magazine