He Art Museum

Located in Shunde, Guangdong, He Art Museum (HEM) is a family established, non-profit art museum designed by Tadao Ando. From focusing on the zeitgeist of modern art and culture to the progress of contemporary art with an international vision, HEM is devoted to present compelling art exhibitions, as well as diverse and open cultural activities. The design of HEM’s architecture pursues the philosophy of spatial integration, bringing in the contrasting geometrical design elements into one place. Highlighted with the world’s first and only double-helix staircase made with slick concrete and spacious innovative exhibition halls in circular structure, it hopes to utilize the space to create multidimensional cultural and artistic experience to art enthusiasts and the local community. HEM’s construction area is approximately 16,000 square meters, Ando’s design presents his signature with the use of reinforced concrete, represented by the double-helix staircase in the central courtyard. Drawn from the ancient Chinese cosmology and philosophy of “the sky is round, while the earth is square”, the architecture can be divided into two major types of exhibition space, three halls in arc-shaped with the double-helix staircase in the center, and one typical standard cuboid exhibition hall highlighted with enormous glass walls facing towards the garden and the pond outdoor. Ando’s architectural design challenges the “dynamic geometry”. Different size of circles expanded to the outside, creating a sense of tension and rhythm. It pursues a dynamic balance among the stable structure. These circles constructed the space of the building through ripple-like expansion: from top to bottom, with the overlapping of four circles. With each area’s clear-cut periphery, an enriched variation effect is created through the interaction between spaces. The central skywell floods the museum with natural light, creating spaciousness, clarity and a symbol of hope. The entire building is surrounded by a garden in the shape of crescent. This Lingnan (Cantonese) style of landscape adopts the characteristics of waterside pavilion and garden. the reflection of the building creates a beautiful illusion as if the basement of the building is elevated up to the sky.