Start Museum-Jean Nouvel’s works in Shanghai

Start Museum-Jean Nouvel’s works in Shanghai

French architect Jean Nouvel has three works in Shanghai: the Pudong Art Museum, Handerson cifi tiandi, and the Start Museum introduced in this article.

The Start Museum, redesigned and supervised by Jean Nouvel, was completed by the end of 2022. The site was originally the location of the South Pudong Railway Station, built in 1907, which underwent multiple changes before undergoing renovation in 2014.

French architect Jean Nouvel has three works in Shanghai, Pudong Art Museum, Henderson Xuhui World and the Star Art Museum introduced in this article.

The Start Museum was renovated and designed by Jean Nouvel and will be completed at the end of 2022. The original site of this area is the Nanpu Railway Station, which was built in 1907. After many changes, the renovation started in 2014.

The English name of Start Museum is “Start Museum” instead of “Star Museum” directly, which caters to the theme of its opening exhibition “START”

Location

Start Museum sits on the west bank of the Huangpu River in Xuhui District, alongside two other renowned art institutions: Long Museum and West Bund Art Center. Despite the breezy riverside locale, the expansive open space and picturesque scenery make it an ideal setting for the museum.

（Picture 2 depicts the West Bund Art Museum^[1], Picture 3 showcases the Long Museum.^[2]）

Appearance

The museum retains an industrial style in its architectural structure, offering a contemporary interpretation of the original building style. As it is a renovation of an old structure, Start Museum may not have as distinctive a design, especially when compared to Pudong Art Museum and Cifi Tiandi. Its architecture tends to be more pragmatic and simple.

^Picture[3]The north side of the train, combined with the landscape garden, creates a charming atmosphere of wilderness.

“The architectural concept is based on the old building, starting from the functionality of the art museum, while retaining the original layout, railway tracks, and carriages of Warehouse No. 18 of the South Pudong Railway Station, thereby building upon the site’s history.”

The museum preserves the locomotive and two carriages from the original train station, representing the historical memory of the city’s industrialization process.

The southern side retains some facilities from the original port, which also enriches the architectural elements to a certain extent, enhancing its visual appeal.

On the southern side, a landscape has been created. Through the orderly arrangement of eight trees, combined with the architectural structure extending to form a somewhat enclosed landscape, it effectively bridges the transition between the building and the external environment. This is my favorite part of the architecture.