Two thousand years ago, Wang Zhaojun travelled thousands of miles to marry Chanyu Huhanye, the leader of a powerful nomadic tribe called Xiongnu. Her marriage established a friendly relationship between Xiongnu and Han Empire. Peace was maintained thanks to her sacrifice. She was the ambassador of culture exchange and harmony. Zhaojun tomb was built in Han Dynasty, located on the South bank of Dahei River in the south suburb of Hohhot City, Inner Mongolia. Zhaojun Tomb is a National Cultural Heritage. In the early twentieth century, a memorial park was established based on the Heritage.

Zhaojun museum is located at the south end of the central axis of Zhaojun memorial, responding to Zhaojun’s tomb on the north end. The building was divided into two parts along the axis. Two truncated pyramids rotated 45 degrees, and embraced the Zhaojun tomb faraway at the center. The V-shaped opening between the two pyramid-shaped buildings established the hierarchy of the space, making Zhaojun’s tomb visible from the street. The new museum strengthened the axis of the park, and emphasized on the memorial character of the park. 

A funnel-shaped sunken yard was designed at the south entrance, to encourage interactions between visitors and the architecture. It also served as a wayfinding to lead visitors toward the museum. Along the path of travel, opening and closure were crafted to reveal and hide Zhaojun’s tomb, creating visual connections and rhythms.

Zhaojun’s tomb was originally built of rammed earth with grand wood structure on top. Earth and wood were the predominant materials used in ancient China. In order to preserve the historical characters of the site, specialty concrete and laminated bamboo were used to resemble the ancient Chinese architecture. The concrete cladding had a texture to mimic the rammed earth of the tomb. Laminated bamboo was used at the canopy over the entrance. The wood and earth elements, were re-created using modern technologies so as to inherit the spirit of traditional Chinese architecture.

Two exhibition halls were designed as the major spaces. Zhaoujun’s legendary stories were exhibited in the east hall with a circular atrium. Xiongnu’s History was on display in the west hall, which has a rectangular atrium. A full height wall made of rammed earth emphasized on the feature of power, together with triangular windows that formed the skylights.

The concept of picturesque was used in the interior wayfinding design. Accessible ramps were built to guide the path of travel. Visitors would catch different sceneries as they move along the trail, resembles a Chinese garden.

A white ramp was floating in the space, supported by steel cabling hanging from the concrete beams up in the ceiling. The lightness of the ramp created a dramatic contrast with the heavy truncated pyramids outside, voicing out the museum’s character as a modern architecture.

The building was lowered and humbly integrated in the environment. The triangular module was applied to the building envelope, as well as the landscape design, creating an immersive experience for the visitors.

Sustainability was a major consideration in the design process. The small surface area to volume ratio of the form minimized its energy consumption. The sunken yard at the entrance brought in breeze during the summer season. Both strategies helped the building to fit into local environment. Low-E windows were employed on south, east, and west façade, with laminated bamboo louvers outside. Natural lights were introduced in, and energy consumption were minimized at the same time.

Prefabricated construction is another highlight of the project. Precast concrete cladding, laminated bamboo canopy, polyurethane rolled floor finish were used in the project. Most components material were made ready in the factory, and can be quick assembled and applied on site. As a result, pollution was minimized during construction.

With cultural and spatial context considered, the architect created a new space that humbly speaks to the existing structures. As a new construction close to the memorial, the museum started a dialogue with history using architectural languages. The spatial sequence of the memorial axis was strengthened, and the architectural form enhanced the idea of culture exchange and harmony, which is the core value of Zhaojun memorial. With the new architectural design, the value of the heritage park was improved, which became a new attraction to the local community and played a positive role in promoting tourism and local income.