Robotic Revolution: Coop Himmelb(l)au’s Museum of Contemporary Art Nears Completion in Shenzhen

The Museum of Contemporary Art & Planning Exhibition (MOCAPE) in Shenzhen, China, designed by COOP HIMMELB(L)AU is nearing completion. Led by Wolf D. Prix, the Austrian practice won a competition to design the cultural complex in 2007 and has spent the last eight years developing the project using innovative construction concepts. Robots were used in the fabrication of many elements, with photographs on Wolf D. Prix’s Facebook page showing glossy metallic cladding panels being formed and polished in a manner akin to automobile manufacturing.

The MOCAPE is a part of the master plan for Shenzhen’s new urban center, the Futian Cultural District, and will draw new attraction to the city’s fast-growing urban fabric. The project is integrated into the language of the existing master plan while establishing itself as a dynamic addition to the developing district.

The project was conceived as a “synergetic combination” of two institutions, the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) and the Planning Exhibition (PE). The design articulates disparate programmatic elements according to functional and performative requirements. At the same time, the two institutions are merged in a monolithic body enveloped by a multifunctional façade.

The transparent façade paired with delicate interior lighting allow viewers to peer through the envelope into the deep interior volume. From the inside, the building skin provides an unhindered view of the cityscape while providing a subtle shade that allows users to feel like they are in an open outdoor space.

Between the skins of the building exterior and the two separate museum volumes lies an interstitial space. From this space, visitors can access ramps and escalators to reach a public plaza that serves as a fluid circulation hub for the building as a whole.

The project caused a stir around the web last year when COOP HIMMELB(L)AU released a video showing how robots could be utilized in the construction of the parametric volume at the heart of the museum. Check out the firm’s vision for the future of construction here:

Additional reporting by Paul Keskeys. All photos courtesy COOP HIMMELB(L)AU