Nanjing Museum is an important hall of Chinese national culture and art, attracting over 5 million visitors annually. Despite this, the operational condition of its sunken plaza remains suboptimal. Through comprehensive research, we have developed a design focusing on circulation planning, functional layout, landmark visibility of the sunken plaza, and operational management. The design is centered around the museum’s unique attributes and the significance of its exhibits. Inspired by the museum’s rich collection and digital resources, we adopted the "Treasure Chest" as the core design concept.

The client specified that any above-ground structures must not impact the central axis hall. Therefore, we incorporated LED transparent screens on the facade, which can serve multiple purposes such as displaying treasures, promoting events, functioning as interactive screens, and hosting light shows, thereby enhancing the sunken plaza’s visibility and exposure. The transparent screens are designed in a funnel shape to expand the semi-outdoor space at the base.Functionally, we aimed to create a flexible sunken space capable of hosting fashion shows, markets, art exhibitions, and more. By integrating with the surrounding commercial areas, this design enhances the museum’s ancillary services and provides visitors with an improved experience. In terms of circulation, guided pathways encourage visitor participation, transforming the area into a cultural hub and an urban living room.