FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Yan Art Museum Celebrated for Harmonizing Built Form with Rushan's Rugged Terrain and Cultural Heritage

Yan Art Museum, designed by Guanyu Tao, has been awarded the Golden A' Design Award 2025 in the Architecture, Building and Structure Design category. Located in Rushan, Shandong, China, the museum stands out for its seamless integration with the region's dramatic mountain landscape and its deep engagement with local cultural traditions. The project reimagines the conventional museum by transforming the site's natural slopes into functional plazas, pathways, and viewing platforms, creating a dynamic, interactive environment for visitors and artists alike.

Inspired by the rugged contours and stony textures of the Rushan mountains, Yan Art Museum employs textured concrete surfaces and a courtyard-style layout reminiscent of traditional Chinese villages. The design features three interconnected levels: a welcoming entrance plaza surrounded by artist studios and galleries, an open plaza and gallery space on the second floor, and an open-air theater for traditional performances on the third. This spatial arrangement encourages community interaction, artistic expression, and cultural exchange, while the use of shallow-rooted landscaping protects the building's structure and enhances its environmental integration.

The realization of Yan Art Museum involved advanced construction techniques, including form board texture reinforced concrete, to achieve both aesthetic and structural goals. The project's design process drew on deconstructivist principles and was informed by extensive site, cultural, and user research. Tools such as Rhinoceros, Adobe Suite, and D5 Render were used to refine the museum's dynamic form, ensuring harmony between architecture and topography. Overcoming the challenges of the sloped site, the design turns elevation changes into opportunities for unique visitor experiences and panoramic views, making Yan a new cultural landmark in rural China.

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