The client – a prominent businessman from Foshan – wished to contribute to the cultural scene of his home city, and decided to promote the construction of a museum for his personal collection, ranging from traditional Oriental art to modern art.

From the beginning, the project was named ‘He Art Museum’ in reference to the Chinese characters of peace and harmony. In Chinese culture, particularly in the ancient Nanyue culture of the Lingnan region, the circle has been used in architecture and art as the symbol of harmony. With these premises we chose a circular form to configure the main volume: a cylindrical volume formed by stacked rings traversed by a five-story atrium. This five-story void rises as the structural and conceptual center of the composition, visually and functionally joining the different levels through a double helix staircase that permits alternate circulation paths. Furthermore, to create flexible spaces for the modern art collection and also for temporary exhibitions, the design includes a simple rectangular volume with high ceilings. The visual contrast between the ‘circle’ and the ‘rectangle’ gives this gallery a distinctive personality.