Shenzhen Natural History Museum has opened to the public beside Yanzi Lake in the city’s Pingshan District. The 100,000m² museum contains exhibition, education, and research facilities, while a planted roof carries the surrounding park over the building.
The museum was designed by architecture practice 3XN in collaboration with architecture firms B+H Architects and Zhubo Design. It occupies a site between the city and the wetlands of Yanzi Lake.
Named “Delta”, the design takes its cues from land shaped by the movement of water. Five connected cones rising from the site contain the exhibition halls, while an undulating structure links the volumes.
A roof park overlooking Yanzi Lake
Paths, planting, and viewing terraces extend across the museum roof, which is accessible to museum visitors and the wider public. The route continues the area’s network of parks and walkways, providing views over the surrounding landscape.
An outdoor plaza runs through the museum from north to south and serves as its main pedestrian approach. It also provides public access to a mangrove park that links the building with Yanzi Hill and the Pingshan River to the north.
The museum height was determined in part by the view from the city towards the wetlands. From the lake, the building appears to rise out of the water; on the other side, it meets Shenzhen’s urban streetscape.
“From the very beginning, we imagined the museum as part of the landscape, shaped by the same forces that define its setting,” said Kim Herforth Nielsen, founder and creative director of 3XN. “Shenzhen gains not only a natural history museum, but a new public landmark that connects the city with its surrounding ecology.”
Exhibition halls arranged around a central atrium
The conical volumes determine the internal arrangement of the museum. Visitors can either move between the exhibition halls in sequence or go directly to a specific gallery.
The largest cone contains a light-filled central atrium. A sloping ramp spirals through the space, connecting the floors and providing access to the exhibition areas. The atrium also helps visitors orient themselves within the building and can accommodate events and gatherings.
The museum includes science education and research facilities, an astronomical observatory, public areas, and outdoor parkland.
Exhibition design studio Atelier Brückner was responsible for the general planning, exhibition design, and scenography of four galleries: “Exploring the Universe”, “A Living Planet”, “The Tree of Life”, and “In Search of Dinosaurs”. Its scope also included the associated public and education areas, working with Silkroad Blue on lighting, media, and graphic design. Silkroad Blue was also co-general planner.
The four galleries account for 11,000m² of exhibition space, with a further 6,000m² allocated to related public and education areas.
Experience design studio Büro North developed the information and wayfinding strategy for the museum and its external public spaces. The system accommodates different routes through the building and can be adapted to future museum uses.
Rainwater reused for cooling and irrigation
Large vertical stone lamellas run across the façade, referring to the coastal landscapes around Shenzhen and giving the lakeside elevation the appearance of a cliff rising from the water.
Rainwater collected from the roof is stored and cleaned before being reused for cooling, irrigation, and flushing. Across the site, interconnected landscape zones manage stormwater, reduce pressure on the sewer system, and replenish groundwater.
The building was delivered by the 3XN–B+H–Zhubo Design consortium. B+H served as lead consultant, executive architect, and landscape architect, and led project delivery. Zhubo Design provided local technical and compliance expertise.
Images: Adam Mørk / Courtesy of 3XN
