National Art Gallery

We imagined the National Art Gallery (NAG) as the new cultural that ties up the surrounding individual cultural nodes to form a larger “cultural network”. As such, underground shopping links fused with art, from surrounding cultural and transport nodes to NAG’s basement “Tropical Art Piazza” is proposed to provide diverse experience for the visitor.

To soften the uninviting and fortified image of existing buildings, a permeable strip of retails and cafes is formed on elevation with multiple entrances. The old and new is juxtaposed in a way that new spaces have less rectilinear forms with light and softer materials, contrasted against the form and material of the existing neo-classical buildings.

The permanent exhibitions, and cafes are coupled with temporary educational and commercial areas and interlaced with the path connectors for maximum activation of spaces throughout the gallery. To facilitate horizontal circulation for visitors and sculptures, a low-speed “art mover” looping around the central void is introduced on most levels. Diversity of volumes such as a six-storey-high void and qualities of space are offered in this proposal, so as to give curatorial flexibility and customization.