Beijing-based Mad Architects has designed “The Eyes of Sanxingdui” for the Sanxingdui Ancient Shu Cultural Heritage Museum in Sichuan.
The museum will consist of six wooden buildings that will light up at night, like eyes behind a mask – an effect inspired by the burning eyes behind the bronze and gold masks of Sanxingdui.
The buildings will be made up of a 5,830 sq m visitor centre and five interconnected structures that will form a 30,000 sq m museum housing cultural relics between 2,800 and 4,500 years old.
At present, the 90,000 sq m Sanxingdui Museum Park displays a collection of bronze, jade, gold, stone, pottery and ivory artefacts.
During the day, the curved wooden buildings mimic the park’s natural landscape, and the “eyes” at the top of the structures will act as skylights.
The Sanxingdui site and the nearby Jinsha site have applied to Unesco for cultural heritage status.
