Building Area
2,600 m²
Completion Date
2023
Architectural Design
Linxi Dong
Technical Consultancy
FORME
Location
Shaoxing，China
PhotographCopyright
Linxi Dong，Aron Lorincz Ateliers，FORME
Project Overview
Dong Xiwen Museum is located in the historic water town of Keqiao, Shaoxing, and is built around the preserved heritage building “Ji Family Residence.” Surrounded by water on two sides, the hall serves as a space for commemoration, exhibition, and cultural education. The architecture responds to the spirit of the artist, using the concept of “mountain” to reflect Dong Xiwen’s lifelong artistic exploration and integrity.
FORME was engaged as the technical consultant for the design and research on the external cementitious façade, providing expertise in detailed design, mix formulation, construction methodology, surface finishing, and on-site support to ensure faithful translation of the architectural concept into built form with a high degree of precision and integrity.
Texture of the oil painting canvas
The chiseled white concrete surface, used for the façade, is the result of extensive stylistic research, aimed at evoking, through perception rather than direct representation, the natural quality of a primed canvas typically used for oil painting. At the same time, this surface treatment was carefully integrated with the regular, geometric volumes of the museum’s architectural design.
The final outcome was developed in close collaboration with Linxi Dong, Project's architect and nephew of the famous painter.
Materials and Techniques
To achieve a refined, sustainable and elegant surface that reflects artistic subtlety, the concrete mix was formulated using only local materials for the mixture such as: white cement as the primary binder, combined with white quartz sand, natural yellow lake sand, and rounded river pebbles as aggregate. The exposed aggregate finish was tested through multiple iterations to attain the desired scattered texture following bush-hammering. The precise control of concrete segregation ensured an even distribution of pebbles, achieving the intended design effect with a regularity comparable to the texture of a primed canvas.
In order to optimize the resources, in a second phase FORME has worked on combining the surface of the exposed concrete with hydrated lime-based plasters, made with the traditional Italian method, capable of perfectly recreating the expressive effect of the concrete. Also the plaster as been realized using by the exclusive use of local materials that significantly reduced the emissions that would have resulted from importing materials from other provinces or abroad.
Structural and Detail Optimization
The analysis of the architectural volume was carried out in order to reduce the presence of joints to a minimum, an objective which was achieved thanks to the use of an expansive admixture which, dosed in the right quantity, made it possible to compensate the natural hygrometric shrinkage of the concrete, obtaining a continuous surface without joints and cracks.
To enhance durability while preserving the concretes and plaster’s natural appearance, FORME selected a nano-reactive waterproofing treatment to be applied on the exposed surfaces. This non-film-forming solution bonds within the cement matrix, improving water resistance without altering the material’s original tone or texture.
