Qujiang Museum of Fine Arts Expansion by Neri&Hu: A Contemporary Cultural Landmark in Xi’an

Located at the forefront of Xi’an’s vibrant Datang Everbright City, just south of the iconic Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, the Qujiang Museum of Fine Arts Extension by Neri&Hu Design and Research Office emerges as a striking addition to the city’s cultural landscape. Completed in 2021 and spanning 1,990 m², this extension responds to the client’s request for a new architectural icon at the East Entry, designed to anchor both social history and contemporary cultural functions.

Emphasizing the concept of a monolithic urban monument, Neri&Hu carefully considered the surrounding galleries, creating a building that respects its context while asserting its presence as a landmark. The project strategically minimizes impact through precise architectural massing and detailing, blending seamlessly into Xi’an’s historic and modern urban fabric.

The museum extension is organized into four key architectural components: the partially sunken Base, the Sculptural Walk, the elevated Platform, and the crowning Monument. The Base, executed in cast-in-place concrete and partially sunken from the existing plaza, functions as a continuous public ground, housing both former museum spaces and new insertions, including retail outlets, restaurants, and public restrooms, enhancing the adjacent pedestrian street.

Visitors enter via the preserved wide steps, descending into a sunken piazza where escalators guide them to the underground B2 museum level. Concealed within sculptural forms, these circulation elements create spatial drama through alternating compression and expansion, culminating in a triple-story light well that floods the lower level with natural light.

Above the Base, the Platform floats as a post-and-lintel structure with a grid of stone columns and glass curtain walls, showcasing retail spaces and establishing a visual separation between the grounded Base and the civic Monument above. The Monument houses a second-floor lounge and an outdoor amphitheater, its diamond-shaped red travertine masonry filtering light while creating dynamic visual interest. The amphitheater, designed as a hollowed-out bowl, extends from the lounge to provide a versatile public forum for performances, social gatherings, and fashion events.

Neri&Hu’s design achieves a careful balance between monumental presence and public accessibility, creating a culturally rich extension that elevates Xi’an’s museum experience. Through a combination of architectural precision, material expression, and public engagement, the Qujiang Museum of Fine Arts Extension stands as a contemporary emblem of civic identity and artistic vitality.

All photographs are works of  STUDIO FANG, Runzi Zhu