CAFA Art Museum
Arata Isozaki & Associates

Photo © Iwan Baan

The curvilinear exterior walls of the CAFA Art Museum, located at the northeast corner of the CAFA (China Central Academy of Fine Arts) campus, are clad with traditional Chinese slate. 

Composed of two surfaces the walls are detached at the ends to let natural light into the building through skylights and large windows.


Photo © Iwan Baan

Photo © Iwan Baan

From the main entrance, located in the center of the building, you enter a large full height atrium with long straight ramps that gradually climb to the various floors of the museum. Natural light spreads throughout the museum through fiber glass membranes under the skylights.


Photo © Iwan Baan

Photo © Iwan Baan

Photo © Iwan Baan

The ground floor can accommodate large installations that can be viewed from various levels of the ramp. The permanent collection, focusing on traditional Chinese art, is located in galleries on the first floor, temporary exhibitions on the second and third floor.

The large open skylit spaces, with the curvilinear walls, allow for many different types of contemporary art installations. The exhibition space on the third floor is open to the double volume of the second floor.

Photo © Iwan Baan

Photo © Iwan Baan

There are four floors above ground, two below ground. The bookstore, cafeteria are located in the main space on the ground floor. There is a lecture hall, studio, and conference room on B1, painting and calligraphy conservation offices, including the restoration room, lab, temporary and permanent collection warehouse, on B2. Technical equipment, security staircases and elevators are contained in rectangular volumes, clad in marble.

Drawing courtesy Arata Isozaki & AssociatesFirst Floor PlanDrawing courtesy Arata Isozaki & AssociatesSecond Floor Plan

Drawing courtesy Arata Isozaki & AssociatesThird Floor Plan
Drawing courtesy Arata Isozaki & AssociatesRoof Plan
Drawing courtesy Arata Isozaki & AssociatesSection