Pugongshan Geology Museum

Pugongshan Geology Museum is an innovative architectural project located in Henan Province, China, that exemplifies sustainable development and ecological education through its thoughtful integration of historical industrial structures with contemporary design. The museum, completed in 2020, represents a significant transformation of a former limestone mining site, incorporating existing gypsum kilns into its architectural composition to create a meaningful dialogue between industrial heritage and environmental consciousness. The four-story structure, encompassing 3,314.5 square meters of construction area across 14,159.5 square meters of land, features one underground level and three above-ground floors, reaching a height of 13.5 meters. The design, led by architect Baofeng Li along with Yi Qingqing and Pan Jialiang, deliberately preserves and repurposes the site's old lime kilns, transforming them into viewing platforms and utilizing one as the main entrance, creating an organic synthesis between the past and present. The museum's exterior employs recycled concrete panels with human-scale textures, emphasizing both environmental responsibility and architectural accessibility. The building's modest profile intentionally positions itself behind the historic kilns, with partially subterranean exhibition spaces ensuring the preserved industrial structures remain prominent. This thoughtful approach to architectural design and environmental education earned the project a Silver A' Design Award in the Architecture, Building and Structure Design category, recognizing its innovative integration of space, structural integrity, and cultural sensitivity. The museum serves as an educational facility that documents the lime production process while highlighting the environmental impact of unregulated industrial practices, offering visitors direct visual connections to key mining areas through strategically placed viewing windows and platforms.

Author: Adam Dawson

Keywords: geological museum, sustainable architecture, industrial heritage, ecological education, environmental conservation, architectural transformation

SOURCES:
https://competition.adesignaward.com/137341

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