MAD Architects Design Ordos Museum

Ordos Museum
MAD Architects
Ordos, Inner Mongolia, China
2011

Ordos city, a subdivision of Mongolia, received its name in 2001 along with a heavy plan for its development. Often referred to as a “modern ghost town,” the local government created a series of extravagant projects in the Gobi Desert to modernize the area with hopes of attracting citizens.

In 2005, MAD Architects were commissioned by the municipal government to design the Ordos Museum located in the center of the new city. The architects were committed to representing the redevelopment while becoming a reflection of both the traditional and transforming culture.

However, the spherical structure has stirred some debate among architects due to its lack of conventional formality. Although inspired by Richard Fuller’s geodesic dome, the Ordos Museum’s irregular form mirrors the intended view of futuristic design.

The Ordos Museum had the ambitious job of demonstrating the community’s cultural leap towards modernization, while remaining relevant to the traditional community. The exterior of the building is covered in metal polished louvers that serve as an incredible distinction from its white interior. With penetrating light from the roof, an incredible fluidity is created throughout the building.

text © MAD Architects, Ordos Government, TIME
images © MAD and Iwan Baan

DISCLAIMER: This project does not feature ALPOLIC Materials. The Architecture, Design and Sustainability sections of our blog are for global projects that we find remarkable. Although this particular project does not use ALPOLIC ACM or MCM, the following listed materials are potential equivalents to the actual materials used.