The Hainan Science and Technology Museum, designed by Ma Yansong/MAD, is steadily advancing through its construction phases. The project, which began its design phase in 2020, broke ground in November 2021 and reached the completion of its main structure in June 2023.

科技馆位于海口市西海岸长秀片区，是海南省的省级科技馆和自贸港重要的科普基地。项目占地4万平方米，总建筑面积4.6万平方米，地上建筑面积近2.8万平方米。

MAD’s design creates a scenario where “primeval rainforest meets futuristic technology,” encouraging the public to seek imagination through both the city and nature. It is not only a place to encounter technology, but also a space to reconnect with the natural world.

The building structure is divided into 92 planar trusses based on the grid layout, organized into two hierarchical levels of steel structure primary and secondary. This layered approach facilitates the connection between the main structure and the curved façade system, while also improving constructability and future maintenance efficiency.

Truss Detail

Structural Overview Diagram

Hainan Science and Technology Museum Model

Structural Analysis Diagram

Curtain Wall System Layering Diagram

To realize the building’s fluid, ascending form, the museum’s curtain wall system utilizes FRP (fiberglass-reinforced plastic), known for its strong three-dimensional forming capabilities. The entire façade is composed of 843 uniquely shaped FRP panels. In response to Hainan’s tropical climate, all panels feature open-joint construction. Integrated horizontal and vertical drainage channels at the panel edges enable effective and controlled water management across the façade.

FRP (Fiberglass-Reinforced Plastic) Detail

FRP Panel Optimization System

Curtain Wall Panel Division Diagram

The main structure of the Science and Technology Museum consists of six levels—five above ground and one underground. Like an ascending DNA strand, a spiraling ramp winds upward through the interior exhibition spaces. Sunlight pours in through the glass dome, illuminating every corner of the central atrium and ramp.

Atrium Space

The interior circulation path guides visitors from the bottom to the top of the building, leading them through the core structure to a 360-degree observation platform on the top floor. From there, they can descend via the spiral ramp, visiting the various exhibition halls. Throughout the journey, visitors can enjoy the views through the glass curtain wall, taking in the scenery outside.

Functional Analysis Diagram

Interior Circulation Analysis Diagram

Centered around the futuristic main exhibition hall of the Science and Technology Museum, the undulating weather-protected corridors extend outward, creating a new type of public urban space for the city. The corridors connect various functional venues, with the giant screen theater and flight cinema located on the northern side, and the planetarium and astronomical observatory located at the southwest corner.

The sunken plaza, wetland landscapes, and educational gardens are filled with a wide variety of tropical plants native to Hainan, creating a public space that not only provides a place for citizens to relax and interact, but also offers educational value.

Under Construction: Weather-Protected Corridor

The Hainan Science and Technology Museum is expected to complete its curtain wall and landscaping work by June this year, with the museum set to open in 2025.

Hainan Science and Technology Museum Under Construction, photographed on March 31, 2024

Hainan Science and Technology Museum
Haikou, China
2020–2025

Type: Museum
Total Building Area: 46,528 sqm
Above-Ground Area: 27,782 sqm
Underground Area: 18,746 sqm

Principal Partners: Ma Yansong, Dang Qun, Yosuke Hayano
Lead Associate Partners: Fu Changrui, Li Jian, Tiffany Dahlen
Design Team: Wang Yiding, Wu Danye, Yin Jianfeng, Sun Feifei, Reem Mosleh, Pan Siyi, Alan Rodríguez Carrillo, Anri Gyuloyan, Chen Yiwan, Rozita Kashirtseva, Wu Qiaoling, Zheng Chengwen, Feng Yingying, Zhu Yuhao, Edgar Navarrete, Yang Xuebing

Owner: Haikou Science and Technology Association
Managing Entity: Haikou Construction Group Co., Ltd.
Architectural Lead Design: MAD
Lead Design Institute: Sitel International Design Consultants Ltd.
Curtain Wall Consultant: Afa Architectural Design Consulting (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
Landscape Consultant: Pan-Asia Landscape Design (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
Interior Design: MAD, Sitel International Design Consultants Ltd.
Lighting Consultant: Beijing Ningzhijing Lighting Design Co., Ltd.
Signage Consultant: Sitel International Design Consultants Ltd.
Exhibition Consultant: Tongji University Architectural Design and Research Institute
Construction Company: China State Construction Engineering Corporation Ltd.

Aerial Video: China State Construction Engineering Corporation Ltd.